Displaced
by Faylin Marie
Summary: Faylin died in 2012 in a tragic accident, but she awakes in the year 2187 after the war with the Reapers is won. As she develops feelings for Kaidan and feels a connection to Liara, she finds something worth fighting for again. But what did Cerberus hope to accomplish? She must join with Kaidan and the crew of the Normandy to find the answer she seeks, no matter how dark it is.
1. Chapter 1

**I own Faylin. The other items, characters, places, ect. used are products of Bioware. Thank you and enjoy.**

My mind was so groggy at first. I could only make sense of a few simple things; I was submerged in warm water, there was some sort of mask on my face, and the container I was in was small. I reached out and touched the glass of the tank while opening my eyes and waiting for them to adjust. My vision was foggy at first, but after blinking profusely I managed to begin making out my surroundings.

The room my tank was in was small and my tank appeared to be perched in one corner of the room. Everything appeared to be made of metal; the floor, walls, ceiling, and even the desk. Several screens were set up at the desk, peculiar holographic looking things that were monitoring my vitals, tracking my brain activity, and mapping my body. The chair was knocked onto the floor as if it had been abandoned hastily. I banged on the glass a few times and waited, but no one seemed to be coming.

Suddenly, two orange lights attached to the ceiling on opposite sides of the room began to flash and a siren blared. Between the first few blaring screeches of the siren, a woman's voice came through an intercom I couldn't see. "Intruder alert," she declared in a calm tone. "Intruder alert. Security protocols initiated. Please evacuate to the designated areas." The recording repeated a few more times before it was shut off with the siren, but the lights kept flashing.

The bright white lights went out in the room, leaving only the flashing orange lights to illuminate my surroundings. I pounded relentlessly on the glass, holding the mask to my face with one hand. I looked around to find the door; another strange holographic screen in its center was colored red. It pounded and pounded on the glass, but the door didn't open, no one came for me.

I jumped in shock when two large screens flashed to life above the smaller three. On one screen I saw two people hovering over a similar computer, a third was behind them watching the door with his gun shouldered and ready to fire. One of the two at the computer was typing away. The other screen showed the area outside the room they were in. The surroundings looked similar to mine; all metal, but large crates were arranged around the huge room on the second screen. Men in white armors moved between the crates, using them as cover.

"We need to get to the level above us," a female voice came through to me. It was the person typing at the computer. I pressed myself to the glass and nearly jumped back again. She had blue skin and no hair, but on her head were some sort of tentacle like growth.

_'An alien?'_ I thought. _'She's a freaking alien. No way. I've really lost it now.'_ But just as I thought that, my mind pieced together different things that I had noticed. The holographic screens, that woman, my tank, and even the weapons they were carrying. Everything was far more advanced than twentieth century technology. _'Just what the hell is going on?'_

"Can you find us a way up there, Liara," the man next to her asked. His back was to the camera and I could not see his face, but he was definitely human, just like the one guarding the door.

"Of course I can," Liara answered him. "But I'm going to release her from the tank."

"Are you sure you should do that," the man at the door asked over his shoulder.

"Yes, James, I am," Liara answered him with slight irritation. "It will awaken her if she isn't awake already and give her time to recover while we make our way there. Just give me a moment. There, that should do it."

Suddenly the water started to drain quickly from the tank. I braced myself on weak knees and pulled off the mask when the water was almost drained. I leaned against the glass as I tried to support myself. The glass slid sideways quickly and I tumbled out of the tank, falling hard on my hip and barely catching myself with my hands. I coughed hard for a bit while I tried to breath in the very different air. The smell of smoke was creeping in from under the door. I gasped in great gulps of air, feeling my lungs ache as if I hadn't used them in some time.

"She's released. The data is downloading to an omni tool they left on the desk," Liara explained to James and the other man.

"Hello?" I manage to cough the word out.

"She's already awake," she seemed shocked.

"Can you get a visual," the man next to her asked.

"Yes. Here we go," she said. I looked up and saw that one of the screens near her had me on it and I was glad to see that my arm that was holding me up was covering my breasts from view.

"Ma'am, are you alright," the man asked.

I coughed again, my lungs slowly adjusting. "Relatively."

"There should be some clothes in a locker to your left," Liara said. "There may even be some armor."

"Liara how is she going to know how to put on the armor or even use a weapon," the man asked her.

"Oh, I hadn't-" she sighed, sounding disappointed that she hadn't thought of that.

"You could always walk me through it," I suggested, sitting back on my knees, keeping my breasts covered.

The man looked to Liara, but she went to typing away again. "That's a wonderful suggestion. Let me hack into the audio for the console in that room so I can talk to her on the move."

"Alenko, we need to hurry up man," James called from the door. "Cerberus troops are piling up out there."

"Right," Alenko shuffled on his feet nervously.

I began to try and stand up, falling a few times before I could get to my feet. I turned to my left like Liara said to find a locker. A pain suddenly hit me in my head and I grabbed a fistful of my hair, crying out as the pain passed through me. Glancing at the screen without being too obvious, I saw Alenko and Liara exchange a glance.

"Are you alright," Liara asked me. I could hear the concern in her voice.

"I think so," I answered. Looking back to the locker, I froze. I didn't know how to open it. It didn't have any sort of handle I could see or even a button to push. I looked to the screen behind me.

"Take the omni tool from the desk," Alenko urged. Put it on and wave your hand in front of the locker. It will open itself."

"Alright," Liara spoke up. "I hacked the audio for the console."

"Ma'am, we're coming to get you," Alenko's voice was kind and reassuring. "Just ask Liara if you need help with anything."

"Alright," I answered him. Looking up from the desk to the screen, I blushed and turned my body. Most of my naked body had been visible for at least a few moments, save my breasts which I was still holding my arm over. "Just what does the omni tool look like?"

"Put on the glove that's lying on the desk," Liara instructed.

Though they were already walking away, I turned my body a little more so that I could use my right hand and pull the glove onto my left hand. It was black and slid up to my elbow. I turned back around to the locker and waved my hand over it, palm open, like Alenko had told me to. The orange holographic screen that flew up around my arm and hand startled me, but it only stayed long enough to hack into the locked locker. There was a small beep then the locker's door slid sideways to open. Liara had been right; there were clothes and a set of armor inside. Lucky for me they were for a woman, most likely meant for me. I slipped myself quickly into the clothes which, thankfully, included underwear while listening to Liara, Alenko, and James fight the Cerberus operatives. I heard Liara call Alenko by his first name, Kaidan, once when she believed he was in trouble for a second.

When I had my boots on, I prompted Liara that I needed her instruction. She guided me quickly through the steps to put on the armor set. Once the armor was on, I noticed a strange looking pistol. I picked it up and stuck it in the holster on my hip without telling Liara. I looked back at the screen, seeing them in the larger of the two rooms where the Cerberus operatives had been. There were fallen bodies all over now, and the team maneuvered through the room to the far side.

"We need you to stay in that room for a few more moments," Liara said to me. I heard her right next to my ear that time. The omni tool apparently was a communication device as well. "I'm downloading the data on what Cerberus was doing to you to that omni-tool I had you equip."

"Not a problem," I responded. Hearing Cerberus operatives coming down the hall I pulled the pistol from my holster. "Okay, I'm gonna say this fast because it is most likely sound weird to you. Will this pistol work mostly in the same way as pistols did in 2012?"

There was a short pause, "Yes. I believe the concept is still the same. Why do you ask?"

"I hear Cerberus down the hall outside. I think the door is locked because the hologram is red, but that won't hold them back long and I don't have any other way out of here."

"We must have tripped the door lock when we infiltrated this place," James said.

"Just hold tight, ma'am. We're on our way to you. Should only be a few more-"Kaiden's voice cut off and shots erupted in the hall.

I took cover behind the desk, aiming at the door. A slam against the door made me jump. I could hear Liara in my ear still. Listening to her fight made me think she was probably a very formidable enemy. The shots ceased and I could hear them navigating toward the door.

"I'll have to hack the door controls," Liara stated.

"I just hope she doesn't try to shoot us when you open the door," James stated.

"You know I CAN hear you," I said annoyed.

There was a series of beeps and the door slid open. When they walked in I stood up from behind the desk and lowered my pistol. It was difficult to hide the breath catching in my chest when Kaidan walked into the room. He was tall with thick dark brown hair and earthy eyes, his armor accentuating the size of his upper body. James was nearly twice his size, a little too muscular for my taste, but still attractive. Liara looked relieved to see me in one piece as she put her pistol away. None of them said a word as Liara stretched out a hand to me. I started to take it without thought, and then stopped.

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"You really think we'd fight all those guys just to come here and hurt you," James seemed baffled by my distrust.

"It's a logical question, Vega," Kaidan scolded him.

Liara, still holding out her hand, gave me a motherly look. "Cerberus was attempting experiments on you. At least we believe that's what they were doing. You have all the data of what they've done right there in your omni tool." I looked down at my left hand, the omni tool's holographic screen remaining off as my hand dangled by my side. "You can review all of that data in the shuttle. Right now we have to go." Her voice was soft but urgent, making me feel the truth of it.

I took a deep breath and let it out. "Alright," I said as I took her hand and saw Kaidan smile.


	2. Chapter 2

**I only own Faylin. All other characters, places, organizations, ect belong to Bioware.**  
** Please feel free to leave comments or message me with comments about the story. Enjoy. :)  
**

**I also may bounce back and forth from using James Vega's first name to using his last name. Please do not let this confuse you. I will attempt to use either one or the other instead of both in future chapters.  
**

"It should be clear on our way to the roof, but still you should stay behind Kaidan and I," Liara said to me as we prepared to leave the room.

"I'll pull up the rear and watch our backs," James said, holding up a huge shotgun with a cocky smile.

I merely nodded and began to follow Liara out of the room. That was when I caught my reflection in the glass across the hall. Disregarding Liara's protests, I pushed past her and stepped over two Cerberus bodies to look at myself. My hands went to my face first. I still looked familiar, yet at the same time about five hundred times more gorgeous than I remembered. My hair was super long, stretching down to my hips and chocolate brown. My delicately arched brows sat over my familiar emerald eyes that I used to scan the rest of my face. My cheeks were thinner, but not so gaunt as to look sickly; they merely accentuated my high cheekbones. My lips were full and pouty and I bit the bottom one nervously. Though I hadn't been thinking about it before when I was getting dressed, my body was more athletic than it had been. I looked down at my hands, my eyes passing from one to the other.

"You are different than you remember," Liara asked tentatively.

"And yet I'm somehow the same," I sighed and closed my eyes. A sudden anger took hold of me and my fists clenched hard. With a growl I punched the glass and it cracked a little under the pressure. I opened my eyes to see a fiery blue aura surrounding my fist. Looking in the cracked glass, I saw my eyes were matching. "What the hell did they do to me," I asked allowed.

Liara approached cautiously and took a soft hold of my shoulders. The blue aura dissipated then. I turned to look in her eyes. She merely stared at me and I found a certain comfort in the blue of her eyes. Vega and Kaidan seemed to be arguing in the background and it made both of us turn and look at them. Liara scowled at James and gave Kaidan a questioning look, but they didn't seem to see it.

"She could be a danger to us, Alenko," James said. "We shouldn't bring her on the ship."

"That's nonsense," Kaidan countered in my defense. "She knows who the good guys are. We've given her no reason to attack us."

"Kaidan's right," Liara interjected. "I don't think there will be any problems."

Something unnerved me and I happened to glance down the hall as a Cerberus squad rounded the corner and began to raise their guns at us. I reacted on instinct alone. Leaping over one of the bodies and throwing up my hands in the direction of the soldiers. The blue aura shot up my arms to my elbows and a sheer blue wall manifested between us and them. The first round of bullets hit the shield and fell to the floor. "They've got the girl," one of the operatives called out.

"We don't have time to argue guys," I called back over my shoulder.

"Back up towards the door," Kaidan ordered. "Liara get it open. Joker, do you read me?"

A voice came through the communicator on my omni tool, sounding off by my ear. "I got ya, Commander."

"Send the shuttle down and be ready for a fly by," Kaidan barked over the communicator. I began to back up slowly, following the sound of his voice. "We need a fast exit. Cerberus is all over us."

"Roger that, Commander," Joker responded. "The shuttle's on its way, ETA five minutes."

"Roger that," Kaidan answered. I continued to move back, holding up my shield. "Keep coming on back. Vega, move that body so she doesn't trip." I heard Vega sliding the body he was told to move across the floor.

"I can't believe you're letting her hold that up," He protested, grunting with the man's weight. "She hasn't had biotics training. How do you know she can hold that up for much longer?"

Before Kaidan could respond I barked back at Vega. "I really wish you'd stop fucking doubting me. God, you're worse than my husband ever was." Kaidan chuckled. "Listen," I grunted a little as I tried to focus. "I'm very good at following my instincts, okay? And I'm getting kind of pissed off from being shot at. Don't make me turn around and beat you."

Vega huffed indignantly, "I doubt you could."

I laughed. "Oh man. You know, challenging me is not a good idea. I just love proving people wrong."

"That's enough you two," Liara chided us playfully.

"We can't let them take subject thirteen," the Cerberus officer called to his men.

"Subject thirteen?" I asked.

"I think he means you, Lola," Vega growled, seeming overly eager to shoot at them.

Another round of bullets was unleashed on my barrier and I felt the pressure upon it with my mind. "I don't like the sound of that," I said gruffly.

The door opened behind us and I felt a hand loop into my belt. Whoever it was guided me softly backward out the door. I held up my barrier until I heard the soft "whoosh" of the door sealing. Once my barrier was down, Liara rushed forward and used her omni tool to sabotage the door. The hand left my belt and Kaidan appeared from behind me. I looked around, taking in the soft pink of the sky above us and the same metal grated floor of the outside deck. A large flat place was the only area not littered by containers. I presumed the shuttle would land there.

"We should seek cover behind the crates," Liara called as she turned away from the door.

"Agreed," Vega chimed, nervously. I glanced at him, watching him with his shotgun ready as he scanned the area.

"The girl will-"Kaidan began.

"Woman," I interjected with a scowl.

He looked at me and continued, "The woman will stay with me. Liara, post up on the left and James, you post up on the right."

Liara nodded while James responded with a gruff, "Aye aye, Commander."

Kaidan took me by the elbow lightly and pulled me behind a tall set of crates. I crouched down as he did, though if I stood straight up I could not even see over them. He stayed close to the left side, peeking around the corner at the door. I scooted over to the right side and peeked at the door. A loud banging had begun to echo around us from the door and I grew unsteady. I pulled myself back around the crates, pressing my body against them as I thought.

_'I don't know how I know it but I can trust these people.' _I clenched my left fist. _'All the data is right here. Everything they did to me.'_ "I'm only subject thirteen to them, "I muttered under my breath. Kaidan pulled himself back around to our side of the crates and looked at me. "They don't even see me as a person."

"Cerberus is ruthless that way," he remarked. "I don't even know what it is they wanted to accomplish here. They already did this once before with Shepard. They knew they could bring you back to life." The banging continues behind us.

"What year is it even," I asked.

"2187," he answered me matter-of-factly.

My eyes went wide with shock and I looked at him. He seemed concerned by my response. "No, it can't be," I said, shaking my head violently. "It can't be that long."

He looked at me with a puzzled expression. "What year did you think it was?"

"To be honest I didn't have a clue," I shoved my face into my hands. "I didn't even dream it would be over a century and a half since I died."

As I pulled my face out of my hands I saw the shocked expression on his face. "They must have preserved your body cryogenicly."

"They had to," I said. "I died in 2012." I looked at my boots that reminded me of my short time in the Air Force. "Everyone I knew is long gone," I said somberly. "I'm all alone."

Kaidan seemed lost for words, but strangely my words seemed to have struck a chord in his heart and his face softened. "What is your name," he asked.

"It was Mary. But I don't want to be called that now. I don't want anyone using that name for me anymore. It would just hurt too much."

"Well, I'd say one hundred and seventy-five years has earned you the right to start over." He gave me a reassuring smile. "Why don't you pick out a name for yourself?"

"I'll think about it," I said.

"Well, when you pick it out," he peered around his side of the crate, "let me know what it is."

"Sure thing," I said, feeling our conversation coming to an end as I felt a rumbling beneath my feet. "What the hell is that?"

"Most likely," Kaidan stopped to think a moment, "an Atlas."

"Something tells me that's not a good thing," I said.

"It's not," he answered gruffly. Clearly he was back into soldier mode, which I seemed to be finding very sexy.

The rumble beneath my feet got stronger and I peered around the edge of the crate. Just as I did the door exploded outward and I pulled myself back behind cover, retrieving my holstered pistol. The Cerberus operatives poured out of the doors with their commander shouting "Retrieve subject thirteen." I gritted my teeth in anger.

"I'm really starting to get pissed off," I declared. I looked to Kaidan, seeing only the back of his blue armor. "Tell me you're gonna let me fight too."

He looked at me over his shoulder at the blue aura of his biotics crept up to replace the earthy brown of his eyes and he smirked. "Just don't get hurt," he said, his left hand was becoming swathed in blue fire. "Vega will never let me hear the end of it."

I gave him a tight nod and let my anger push my biotic powers into action. The blue aura gathered around me, covering my entire body. HE seemed slightly surprised, but he turned from me with a smile on his face and began to open fire from around the crate. As Cerberus began to fire back at us, I could hear Vega off to our right roaring out as he shot at them with his giant shotgun. Liara's battle cries rang out from the left and I risked a glance from behind our crate.

What I was sure had to be the Atlas was making its way through the door. It seemed to be a manned giant robot with a rocket launcher of some sort attached to one arm and a machine gun on the other. I felt the need to disable it first. Gathering a mass of energy in my right palm, I readied myself. With a growl I threw the mass of energy around the edge of the crate directly at the machine. It hit with quite the blast, knocking the thing back a step and spreading off to two nearby men. The men fell to the ground dead and Vega called out from his post, "Nice shot, Lola." I smiled.

Liara evidently had the same idea because another blast of biotic power hit the machine from her direction. Her power rivaled mine. Kaidan released some sort of electrical attack upon it and I saw its shields fall. I began to ready another shot at it, but it opened fire with the arm that looked similar to a machine gun. The first shot took a big chunk the size of my head out of the edge of the crate. I shrunk back behind our makeshift cover.

"Wait for him to reload," Kaidan called over the noise. I nodded.

It was only a second later when the firing halted for a moment and I poked my head around the corner. The energy gathered almost instantly as I drew my arm back and hurled it directly at the offensive thing. Liara's followed mine quickly and Kaidan let off one as well. It stumbled back a step then seemed to freeze up. Beneath the orange glass of the cockpit hatch I could see the operator frantically trying to get it to move as it sputtered, electricity arcing off of it. Kaidan grabbed my shoulder and pulled me behind the crate as it exploded.

"Nice job," he said.

"Thanks," I grinned cockily back at him.

Vega cried out from his post and my attention snapped toward him. "Vega?" Kaidan called to him.

He didn't answer for a moment, but our fear had little time to grow. In a fiery rage, He burst from behind his cover, roaring while he opened fire madly on the remaining few Cerberus operatives. I followed his queue, stepping out from our cover and releasing a series of biotic blasts at two of the men. They fell quickly to my onslaught, fast enough that I was able to catch one trying to get the jump on Vega. I focused on lifting him into the air and as I did, he dropped his rifle and cried out. Vega spun around after the last man in front of him fell, witnessing the full effect of my ability as I brought the man slamming down with such force that his head almost exploded within his helmet.

Vega looked at me indignantly as I let my biotic power die off. A smile crept across his face. "Little miss Lola's pretty ruthless," he observed.

"I can hold my own," I said, re-holstering my pistol that I didn't even fire.

"All that without even breaking a sweat," he said, traversing the littering of bodies toward me, Liara copying him on the outskirts of my vision. "I have to say I'm slightly impressed."

"Slightly?" Liara had a tone of disbelief. "It's nothing short of incredible that she has such control of her power. And the extent of it," she looked off at the remnants of the exploded Atlas, "amazing."

"Clearly they already outfitted her with an L5x implant," Kaidan strode up next to me. "The shuttle's almost here. Come on."

I nodded and followed him as he turned toward the area clear of crates. I heard the shuttle approaching and looked in the direction of the noise. What I saw was something similar to a flying car. I stopped dead in my tracks as I watched it piloted gracefully in to land on the small clearing. The large side door opened upward and Kaidan hopped up inside, shouting commands to the pilot that I couldn't see from my vantage. I felt so oddly out of place. Liara strode up and hopped in gracefully, taking a seat on the bench across from the open door.

"Go on, Lola," Vega nudged me gently. I turned and looked at him over my shoulder. "We planted explosives in the complex. This place is about to go up so we need to get out of here."

I nodded, but my brain was still trying to comprehend the things around me. I turned back in time to see Kaiden turn to me. He held on to something above him with on hand and reached down to me with the other. After a moment of thought, I took it and he helped to hoist me up into the craft. I took a seat next to Liara as Vega hopped in and the door closed. I felt the light pitch as we ascended into the sky and swallowed hard. I could tell it was about to be a long day for me. Hell, every day was going to be long for a while as I tried to adjust to this new world I'd been re-born into.


	3. Chapter 3

**I only own Faylin. All other characters, places, organizations, ect belong to Bioware.**  
** Please feel free to leave comments or message me with comments about the story. Enjoy. :****)**

The ride up was not as long as I thought it would be, maybe fifteen minutes total. I spend the time hunched over my omni tool, using my knee to rest my elbow. There was a wealth of data that had been collected. Very few posts had been made between 2012 and 2180, but there were some. Those mostly pertained to the relocation of the cryo-tank I was in or the gathering of new information or materials. But there was one post dated for December 3rd, 2011, the day I got married.

_Subject thirteen has been selected. Airman First Class Mary Leann Everton is a prime candidate for our experiment. She married Brandon Everton today, but I suspect that will not be an issue when acquiring her body. I am in the process of planning out a staged accident. It may take some time to follow through, but this will allow time for the cryo-tank to be completed._

_ -G._

After reading that first entry, I blazed through the rest. Seeing the testing of how my body might respond to exposure of Element Zero, then the actual exposure, and a multitude of other bodily enhancements. I shut off the omni tool with a sigh. Liara shifted nervously beside me, but I buried my face in my hands. It was nearly impossible for me to think clearly. I felt Liara's soft touch on my arm and back and peered over at her.

"You will have plenty of time to go over the files," she told me, her voice soft and concerned. "You should see Dr. Chakwas after we board the Normandy. After that you can get some rest." I nodded numbly. "I would be happy to let you stay in my cabin. It would allow you a little more privacy than staying in the crew's quarters."

I smiled, "Thank you. I appreciate that."

"She can also start in on that data while you rest," Kaidan suggested.

"Yes, I could," she looked at him and agreed with a smile.

"Sure," I said. "When I get up we can go over it together. Its," I paused and glanced at the omni tool on my left hand. "It's a little much to handle by myself right now."

"That's very understandable," Liara said.

The pilot of the Normandy interrupted our conversation then when his voice came over our communicators. "Fly by pick-up successful," he claimed, a hint of a smile in his voice. "Commander, Dr. Chakwas wishes for me to inform you that she is waiting in the hangar bay to escort the passenger we picked up back to the med bay," he said disdainfully, as if reporting that was a major chore on his part.

"Thank you, Joker," Kaidan responded.

Vega let out a chuckle. "You used to being called commander yet?" He elbowed Kaidan.

Kaidan sighed. "Not in the least. It just doesn't feel right to be the commanding officer of the Normandy."

"Shepard would have been happy to see you take over after her," Liara commented. "I understand it is hard without her now, but she would not want us to morn her forever."

Kaidan chuckled, but I could sense the sadness in it. "She was pretty hard headed, always moving forward, and never afraid to go to hell and back."

"Amen, on that one," Vega agreed. "I think we owe her a little toast when we get inside."

"Agreed," Kaidan's last response implied that he was going to end up having more than one drink in her name.

The doctor they spoke of was a silver-haired woman with kind green eyes. She stood at the end of the hangar bay by the elevator with her arms crossed in front of her chest. She was in rather good shape for an older woman which made me wonder at her age, though I'd never be brave enough to ask her such a question. I followed Liara as we exited the shuttle that picked us up and walked over to her. She gave me a kind smile and extended her hand.

"Hello, dear," her voice was slightly motherly. "My name is doctor Karin Chakwas; I'm the chief medical examiner here on the Normandy."

"Hi," I said stupidly as I shook her hand. _'I'm some chick having a momentary identity crisis,'_ I thought to myself.

"Come on, dear; let's go have a look at you. I'm sure it's been a rough day for you already," she said, ignoring the fact I didn't tell her my name.

With Liara's help again, I deposited my armor in an empty locker they said I could use and followed the doctor to the elevator. We all got onto the elevator together. All of us, save Kaidan, exited the elevator on the third deck. Kaidan told Vega he would meet him on the starboard observation deck for drinks in a few minutes before heading on his way to the second deck. I must have had a puzzled expression because the doctor stroked my arm.

"He has to report in to Admiral Hackett," she explained. "After that I expect we will be heading to the citadel."

"That is most likely our course of action," Liara agreed. After we rounded the corner and began to pass the mess, Liara pointed to the far side of the area at a door. "My cabin is just in there. When the doctor is done examining you, feel free to come and rest."

"She shouldn't be long Liara," Dr. Chakwas said. "And thank you for offering your cabin as a place for her to stay."

Liara seemed to blush slightly. "I merely thought it would help to isolate her from being exposed to too much at once."

"That is probably for the best. Come, dear," she guided me in the opposite direction.

I watched Liara cross the mess and disappear into her cabin as I walked with Dr. Chakwas. The med bay door slid open as we approached and drew my attention back. The med bay wasn't very large. It was enough to hold three cots and a long L-shaped desk. The doctor guided me over to the first bed and had me sit down. As I did, I noticed the window facing out into the mess. The doctor turned away for a moment to mess with the computer on her desk then turned back to me with her omni tool out. She waved it over different parts of my body, scanning my vitals and checking my stats. She asked me simple questions about how I was feeling, to which I answered that I felt relatively fine physically.

"You seem to be fine physically," she said, shutting off the orange holographic screen of her omni tool. "It's your mental state that I'm worried about. It's quite a shock to awaken one hundred and seventy-five years after you've died."

"Tell me about it," I huffed. I let out a long breath, "I'm mostly just confused. Everything is very different. Transportation, weapons, and communications… the technology is astounding and fascinating. But the whole biotic powers thing is," I sighed, "it's slightly weird and yet at the same time kind of excites me. If I weren't a bit tired I'd be begging Liara to show me how to use it."

She smiled. "That's good to hear. All biotics must learn to control their powers. I'll be sure to tell Kaidan you wish to learn more about them. He may only be an L2 but he did go through BAaT." I gave her a puzzled look. "I'm sure he could explain it better to you than I could."

I shrugged it off. "I do have to say that, I'm surprisingly not as concerned about Cerberus. I mean, sure I want to know what they did to me, but beyond that, I don't really know. I really just want to learn what I'm capable of now."

"That's good." She sat in the chair at her desk. "I'm happy to see how strong-willed you are. You remind me very much of Commander Shepard."

"I heard Kaidan and the others mention her," I stated. "Who was she?"

"She was the last commander of this ship and the savior of our galaxy." She seemed to have a little trouble talking about it. "Liara would be the best person to ask about her."

"Okay," I said. "So are you done with your evaluation?"

"Yes, I believe I am," she answered me. "Try not to exert yourself too much. It may be some time before we reach the citadel and I'd like you to get a bit of rest."

"Yes ma'am," I answered her as I got off the bed. "I still have to think of a new name."

"A new name?"

I smiled. "Kaidan and I had a short conversation," I began to explain. "I told him what my name was, back before I died. I don't really want to use that name anymore. I feel like it would keep me trapped in the past. He suggested that I could re-name myself."

She smiled at me. "That seems like a wonderful idea. Have you thought of anything?"

"I haven't thought about it too much, but a name does kind of pop into my head."

"May I ask what it is?"

"Faylin Marie," I said with a smile. "I wasn't sure if I should think of a last name."

She considered it for a second, and then smiled brightly. "I think that name suits you rather well. And don't worry about a last name just yet." She gave me a wink and turned to her computer.

"I guess I should go tell Kaidan what I decided on," I said. The doctor let out a little chuckle, but said nothing.

I left the med bay and retraced our steps back to the elevator. The door was open down the hall to a room that was labeled above it _'Starboard Observation Deck'_ and I could see Vega as he passed by the door. Upon hearing the elevator in motion, I just stood by it and waited. When it stopped and the doors opened, Kaidan stepped out and bumped into me because he had been looking down. I stumbled back a little, but he caught me by my elbows, apologizing profusely.

"I'm sorry," he said helping me stand upright. "I wasn't paying attention."

"It's okay," I tried to reassure him. "I was actually heading to look for you."

He seemed slightly surprised. "Really? What for? Is everything alright?"

I chuckled a little, "Everything is fine, I just," I stopped to clear my throat, suddenly feeling embarrassed. I felt my cheeks threatening to turn pink. "I just came to a decision about my name."

"Oh," he seemed genuinely intrigued. "What did you decide?"

I found it hard to look at him with him still standing so close to me. I could feel the heat radiating off his body. The blue and gold uniform he had on accentuated his muscular form. I took a deep breath to gather my courage and looked up into his earthy eyes. I felt my eyes lock with his and answered him, "Faylin Marie. I didn't really think of a last name though."

He chuckled, "I wouldn't worry about a last name too much. But that name really seems to suit you." He considered something for a second, and then extended his hand to me. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Faylin."

I shook his hand, "Thanks for rescuing me."

He let out a chuckle. "It was my pleasure," he said coolly. He smiled at me and I felt my cheeks get hot.

"Yo, Alenko!" Vega called from down the hall. "You gonna stand there flirting with the lady or are you gonna come have a drink?"

I laughed nervously and let go of his hand while he did the same. "I- uh-I'm going to go and hang out with Liara," I said nervously. "I'm sure that there's a hell of a lot I missed in one hundred and seventy-five years."

"Yeah," he agreed. "Sounds like a good idea."

I just had to be blushing by that point. "I'll- uh- catch you later."

"Yeah," he said. As I started to walk away he said, "Hey," making me turn back to face him. "If you need anything, I'm happy to help."

I didn't know what to say. "Thank you," was all I could manage to say.

We parted ways, but I turned back just in time to watch him disappear around the corner, watching me as I walked away. My heart began to pound even harder in my chest. God, he was so gorgeous. I was feeling rather light hearted considering the day's events when I went into Liara's cabin. She was hovering over a computer and typing away. A few holographic screens were hovering in front of her, but what impressed me was the wall of solid screens that showed a picture of the galaxy spread across them. She almost didn't notice I had entered, but I let out an astonished, "Wow."

She looked over at me and seemed slightly embarrassed for a moment. "I'm sorry," she said, straightening up. "I didn't hear you come in."

My eyes were locked on the screens. "It's okay. I was just checking out your view."

"Oh," she looked up at the screens. "Yes, I felt the need to redecorate when I first took residence in this cabin."

"Well I like it." I clapped my hands together. "So, I was hoping," I stepped inside more and the door shut behind me, "that you would be so kind as to somehow explain to me what everything is like now."

She chuckled. "I would be happy to. It may take some time to cover everything though."

I smiled and gave a carefree shrug. "I don't mind."

Over the next few hours, I sat on Liara's bed while she covered a wide variety of topics. She used a small blue holographic drone to make a large screen for us so we could sit comfortably on her bed and have visual aids when necessary. She told me about the different alien species first, which led to c short conversation about the citadel and the council. I was so intrigued, my curious nature seizing hold of me and driving me to implore about the different races. Some of my questions caused her to laugh a little, but never to make fun of me. I think that she found my curiosity refreshing.

After some time, I grew the courage to ask about Commander Shepard. Liara's face grew a little sad at the mention of her name, but she agreed to explain everything to me. She told me about how she met Shepard and the missions they went on. She told me about seeing Shepard die, then Cerberus bringing her back. And my world was spinning when she went into the reaper attack and how Shepard gave her life to save not only humanity, but all the alien species that were threatened to die at the hands of the reapers.

"Wow," I said when she had finished and grew abnormally silent. "So Earth, Palaven, and your home world, Thessia, are they," I couldn't bear to say it.

"They were saved because of Shepard," she answered with a smile. "They are rebuilding and growing again."

I smiled, "That's great." I looked down at my hands and a silence passed between us. "So I'm guessing that Kaidan and Shepard were," I paused briefly to choose and appropriate word, "involved?"

"Yes they were," Liara glanced over at me. "The loss has been hard on him. He rarely opens up to anyone, but through everything we forged a special bond. But even so," she stood up and walked past the holographic drone, causing it to shut off the screen. "He rarely speaks of her anymore."

"I know how he must feel," I fell back on the bed lazily and looked up at the metal grated ceiling. Tears began to escape my eyes and I wiped at them angrily. "I can't help thinking of my family and friends." I explained, though Liara hadn't asked. "I miss them so much now. I keep thinking I'm going to wake up and tell them all about this crazy dream I had, but I know that isn't possible." I pushed myself up and bent over, rested my elbows on my knees, and looking at my feet. "I did everything for them. I joined the Air Force to do something in this life that would help protect them. That was the most important thing in my life and now I have nothing but myself."

Liara sat back down next to me and laid a hand gently on my back. She pulled my hair out of my face and stroked it softly. "I think I know something that could help," she whispered. I looked over at her, cheeks wet with salty tears. "Dr. Chakwas sent me a short message before you came in. I think focusing on how to control your powers is a wonderful idea. Would you like to do that a little before you rest?"

I considered it for a moment. "Yeah," I said. "It might help me work off some frustration."


	4. Chapter 4

**I only own Faylin. All other characters, places, organizations, ect belong to Bioware.**  
** Please feel free to leave comments or message me with comments about the story. Enjoy. :****)**

Liara and I took the elevator back down to the hangar bay on the deck below Liara's cabin. We overheard Vega picking on Kaidan as they relaxed in the observation deck, but I didn't get to catch a glimpse of either one of them. Before we had left Liara's cabin, she helped me pull my hair back and braid it into a bun and I switched out the long-sleeved shirt I had on for a tank top that held what Liara explained to me as the symbol for the Alliance on the top of the left breast. I had a strange feeling of pride wearing it.

"Alright," Liara proclaimed as she stepped out into the wide open space of the hangar. "The best way to learn is through practice. Focus on activating your power."

I followed her out into the space, but I looked at her confused. "Okay, uh, just one question. How do I do that?"

"How did you do it earlier?"

"I reacted to being shot at," I said. I took a nervous step back. "You're not going to shoot at me are you?"

"No," she declared sternly. "Simply reacting to the world around you is not enough. You need to understand how biotic powers work."

"And how is that exactly?"

She took a deep breath before explaining to me. "Quite simply, biotic power allows you to manipulate the world around you by creating a mass effect field. You can use mass effect fields in many different ways. You could knock enemies over from a distance or lift them into the air. Much like you lifted that one man into the air."

"Yeah, before I pulled him back down," I agreed with her, remembering the way it felt to have such power.

"Precisely," she said. "You can also generate gravitational vortices to tear objects apart with or create protective barriers. You were able to create a barrier today as well."

"I just focused on stopping them from shooting us," I said. "I thought about creating a wall and there it was."

"Well that's a step in the right direction. But I think a good way to learn control is to focus on lifting an object." I smiled thinking that this training would be easy. "Primarily when that object is you," she smiled.

My smile faded quickly. "I have to lift myself?"

"Yes, it will save us from damaging anything in the hangar while you focus on control. I will demonstrate for you and then I will leave you to practice."

I took a deep breath to ready myself. "Okay. I'm ready when you are."

Liara closed her eyes and took a deep breath. I watched at the fiery blue aura sparked up at the tips of her fingers and began to slowly creep up her arms. When it reached her elbows, the same aura sparked up from her feet and began to creep up her legs as well. After the aura covering her arms reached her shoulders, it quickly enveloped her head and then flowed down to her waist to meet its partner at her hips. Then suddenly she began to float upward. She hovered a few inches off the floor then set herself back down, the light blue aura dissipating quickly. "I would recommend that you start off sitting down and focus on keeping yourself balanced. Try it for as long as you can. Here," she held out the familiar omni tool glove to me that I had taken off. "Use it to time yourself if you wish."

I began to pull on the glove again. "You're not going to stay and time me?"

"You have nothing to prove to me," she said simply. "The only person you have to prove anything to right now is yourself." She strode past me gracefully saying, "Whenever you get tired you are welcome to come back to my cabin. I assure you it is not a problem for me to have you share my accommodations."

I let her leave without saying anything. I stood in the silence for a moment, taking in some deep breaths and gaining my courage. I walked out to the center of the great open space, turned to look at the elevator, and then I sat down and crossed my legs Indian style. I felt like I was getting ready to do some yoga meditation, but I laughed off my silly nerves and tried to center my thoughts.

Even with my eyes closed, I felt it when I began to create the mass effect field. Liara had briefly explained them to me when she was catching me up on the technology aspect of this new world I found myself in. I opened my eyes slowly, focusing on encompassing my entire body within the field. It was a very different experience to use my biotics in such a calm and focused state, but I knew it was necessary to practice controlling my powers. Power required discipline and discipline was only obtained through practice and patience. I chuckled inwardly as I remembered the words I had been told by a karate instructor so long ago.

When the field faltered a bit, I forced myself to push all other thoughts out of my mind and focus on what I was doing. I could see the light of the aura stabilize as it illuminated the space around me. Liara had only turned on a single light at the far end of the hangar that illuminated the area by the elevator, so my biotic light illuminated a wide space round me in a swath of pale blue light.

When I was sure I had encased myself in my mass effect field, I focused on lifting myself up. At first my ascension was unsteady and I teetered to the side. I imagined feeling the flat floor beneath me to keep me steady and righted myself, continuing to lift myself up. I stopped the lift when I was about four feet off the floor and focused on holding myself there. As I held myself in the air, my thoughts began an inner conversation with myself.

_'I can't believe they are all gone now. Well technically I was gone first,'_ I let out an inner sigh. _'This is all so strange, but at the same time it's wonderful. The world as I knew it just expanded by a million fold. Everything I ever dreamed of; life on other planets, space travel, and,' _I chuckled inside, _'mind powers, it all is real now. I don't know what to do with myself now. I always looked after everyone else. I focused on protecting them, making them happy.' _A tear rolled down my cheek. _'Brandon, I miss you. But you wouldn't want me to be sad. You were always the realist. You accepted death as a part of living. I hope I can be as strong as you were. Wherever you are, Brandon, watch over me for a while. Help me to be strong and find my own way. A part of my heart will always be yours. No one can replace you in my heart, even if they take the place at my side.' _I let out a long breath and wiped my cheek. _'I don't want to be alone in this world guys,' _I addressed my thoughts to all my lost relatives and friends. _'I'm not trying to replace any of you, but I want a family. I want friends. I want to be surrounded by people who love me again. Let me be able to have that again. At least until my life is over again and I can be with you.'_

In my reverie, I hadn't heard the elevator descend and open. During the break in my thoughts, I heard someone walking towards me, their boots echoing heavily off the metal grating. I opened my eyes and saw Kaidan, bathed in the pale blue light of my biotics, striding towards me. My breath caught in my chest. He had shed the blue and gold Alliance officer's jacket and just had on a tight fitting white t-shirt and the blue slacks I had seen him in a few hours earlier.

"Liara told me you were down here," he said. "I thought I would come down check up on you." He seemed a little bashful about what he had just admitted.

I took a deep breath and as I let it out I started to lower myself down, unfolding my legs and stepping down onto the floor gently, altering my concentration to keep myself from falling over. Once my feet were safely back on solid ground, I dissipated the mass effect field.

"How long were you up there?"

"Um, let me check," I looked down at my omni tool. "Holy shit!" I blurted out then covered my mouth. He chuckled at my bashfulness. "It says two hours!"

He raised a brow at me, "Impressive."

I suddenly realized that I felt very hot. I wiped my forehead and was surprised to find I was sweating. _'Oh great,' _I thought. _'I probably look like a hot mess.'_ "Wow, holy crap. I, uh," I fanned myself, feeling a little dizzy. "I think I need to sit down." I didn't bother trying to walk anywhere, I just sat back onto the floor where I was then fell back to lay down, leaving my knees up like I was about to do crunches or sit ups.

"Are you okay," Kaidan asked nervously.

"Yeah," I said, waving a hand at him like I was telling him to calm down. "I'm just feeling a little tired right now. I just need gather my strength a bit."

He chuckled. "Looks like you did a little too much in one day."

I laughed heartily. "Well, that sounds like a usual me thing."

I looked over at him and saw that he was smiling. But he didn't say anything.

"What?" I asked.

He shook his head, still smiling, and shrugged. "I was just thinking," he began to walk around me and I had to turn my head to follow him. "You become more interesting by the minute."

I smiled, he was passing by my head and my view of him was upside down for a moment. "May I ask why?"

"Well," he stopped beside me on my right. "I've never met someone like you. You don't seem afraid to be yourself."

I looked up to the ceiling and cocked my head as I thought for a second, furrowing my brow. "Well, I don't know who else to be." That seemed to end that direction of our conversation and I sat up, feeling the ease of allowing my muscles to pull me to sit. "Hmm," I said, thinking.

"What is it," Kaidan turned in my direction.

I stretched out my legs, feeling the pull in my muscles. "I'm just kind of feeling things out a bit."

"Oh yeah," he said, remembering my angry reaction to my slightly changed form. "I remember when we were in the facility you said you were a little different."

"Yeah," I answered gruffly. "Apparently Cerberus altered me physically as well. I mean I was in good shape before, but," I had pulled up my left leg and was sitting on my foot with my right knee pulled into my chest. I struck out in an arc with my right foot, using my right arm as a balance and my left hand as a stationary point, I pivoted on my left foot and ended with my back to Kaidan and my right leg extended outward. "This is just ridiculous." I pulled my foot back beneath me and stood up. "I can feel just how much stronger I am."

"Strength isn't such a bad thing," he said.

"It's not just that," I turned toward him, my brow still furrowed. "Try to punch me."

His brows went up in shock. "What?"

"Just do it," I growled. "Try to punch me. Hard."

He gave me a look that was a combination of confusion and worry. "Are you sure?"

I scowled at him. "Would I tell you to otherwise?"

He sighed. "Alright." He stepped back with his right foot and lifted his arm to get ready, but I didn't move. His facial expression switched into and expression that was almost angry as he struck out at me.

I caught his fist for split second and flicked my wrist sharply, deflecting the blow away from my face. But I miscalculated the power behind his thrust and he tumbled into me. In the middle of the fall, I pivoted my foot to turn us in an attempt to escape the fall entirely, but Kaidan's arms had grasped me already and I fell with him. I landed on top of him on the hard metal grating. A moment passed as we assessed the situation, then I felt my cheeks flare.

"I-I'm sorry," I said. "I-I didn't mean to do that."

Kaidan didn't say anything at first. His face was painted with light surprise. "Are you alright," he asked.

_'WHAT?!'_ I thought. _'I just fell on top of you and you're going to ask me if I'm okay?'_ "I-I'm fine," I stammered. "Are you alright?"

He corners of his lush lips turned up slightly. "I'm fine," he said.

I was at a loss for words and had no idea what to do. I didn't want to ruin anything by getting up, but I wasn't sure laying there on top of him was what he wanted either. My heart was pounding in my ears as we lay there with our bodies pressed together. My hips were on his, one of his legs between mine. He had grabbed me with one hand on my lower back and the other around my shoulders and as we had first spoken since we fell, he left his hands where they were.

He finally moved his hands, but they glided softly across my back, his left hand grazing the skin of my back that was exposed by my tank top. His right hand stopped on the edge of my hip while his left ventured up the line of my spine and lightly seized the back of my head. I hadn't expected any of what he was doing, but I certainly didn't expect what would happen next.

He lightly tugged my head down as he lifted his up to meet me, pressing his lips gently to mine. Our eyes closed as he kissed me gently, his tongue imploring me to open my mouth. I sighed in light pleasure as I pressed one hand onto his strong chest and his tongue passed my lips into the depth of my mouth. I caressed his tongue with mine a moment.

My body began to respond to him as my hips moved to press myself into him. It was then when my reasoning took over and I pushed myself back from him, breaking the kiss abruptly. His kiss had left me a little breathless, but I pushed myself to my feet and backed away a few steps. He rose up from the floor as well, eyes following me.

"I- I-," I cleared my throat and looked away as my cheeks burned. "I'm sorry I didn't mean to-"

"You didn't do anything wrong," he said, a hint of hurt in his voice. "It's me who should be apologizing."

"No, no," I protested. "It's okay." I still couldn't look directly at him. "I just didn't expect you to do that." I pressed a hand to my chest and touched my cheek with the other.

"I'm sorry," he said bashfully. "Maybe I shouldn't have. I just couldn't help it."

I looked up at him and saw his cheeks were a slight pink. "I just didn't expect that," I repeated. Then I gave him a sly smile as I dropped my hands, "Not that I didn't like it."

He blushed and rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. "Well, that's good at least."

I chuckled, feeling myself ease up. I don't know why I had run from him, but I couldn't take it back now. I stepped towards him quickly and rose up on my toes to kiss him on the cheek. "Maybe you'll do it again," I whispered before falling back on my heels.

He seemed shocked at first and let out a nervous chuckle. "If I'm given the chance," he said returning my sly smile.


	5. Chapter 5

**I only own Faylin. All other characters, places, organizations, ect belong to Bioware.**  
** Please feel free to leave comments or message me with comments about the story. Enjoy. :****)**

**I also wanted to let everyone know that I rewrote the description because the story seemed to be headed another way. Hope you enjoy:)  
**

Vega came down in the elevator to work out in his makeshift gym and stopped anything else from happening. Kaidan and I tried our best to act like nothing happened, but decided to stay and talk a bit more. I asked him if he saw what I meant when I told him to attack me. He had to think for a moment.

"My reflexes," I prompted him.

I could see when he caught onto my train of thought. "Yeah," he agreed. "You reacted really fast. That's why when I fell, I tried to protect you."

"Well to be completely honest," I said. "If you hadn't grabbed me, you would have been the only one who fell."

He chuckled and Vega looked over at us suspiciously.

I sighed. I wasn't fond of being watched. "I think I'm going to go," I said. "I could use a shower."

"Yeah, same here," he agreed. "I think Dr. Chakwas has some extra toiletry items in the med bay if you go ask her. And the women's restroom is to the left between the elevator and the starboard observation deck."

"Thanks," I said, turning for the elevator.

We walked together to the elevator, Vega watching our every move. He was working on his first set of chin ups, but instead of touching his chin to the bar he hung from, he was bending forward and touching it to his bare shoulders. I smirked. "Don't work too hard," I called to him.

"Hey," he protested. "I gotta keep looking good for the ladies."

I laughed as we got on the elevator and Kaidan pressed the controls to take us up. When I got off on the next deck, Kaidan appeared reluctant so see me go. But as I began to stride off toward the med bay, I looked over my shoulder and found his eyes following me until the door to the elevator closed. I kept my smile from showing outwardly as I went in to see Dr. Chakwas.

She was surprised to see me already, but I explained why I was there and she smiled kindly at me. She did in fact have extra toiletry items. She told me that since she had been stationed on ships, she found that soldiers were surprisingly forgetful and shore leave did not come often enough for such things. She said she already felt like a mother taking care of children, so purchasing a stash of toiletries was the least she could do. She packed them in a bag and even included a towel and change of clothes for me and sent me on my way.

When I reached the women's restroom, I picked the shower farthest from the door and turned it on. I let the water grow warm as I stripped down and took my hair down from the braided bun. As I washed my hair and body clean, I couldn't get Kaidan's kiss off my mind. At some point I decided that there was a reason behind him kissing me and I wanted to find out why. I quickly finished my shower and dried myself off before putting on the change of clothes which included a tight fitting grey t-shirt with the Alliance symbol posted on the left breast and a pair of black pants with a belt. I left my towel-dried hair down to dry. I left the restroom and went straight to Liara's cabin where I found her again at work on her computer.

"Hey, Liara," I asked dropping my bag over near the bed in an empty corner. "Do you know where I can find Kaidan?"

She looked over at me briefly. "He may be in the captain's cabin. Would you like me to call him?"

"No, that's ok," I said. "I just wanted to go ask him a few questions. Do you think he'd mind?"

"Surely not," she answered. "Just take the elevator to the first deck. I'm sure he's there."

"Okay, thanks," I said happily and left her cabin.

My nerves hit me when I was in the elevator as my palms began to sweat and my heartbeat picked up. I tried to breathe deeply and calm myself. _'Just relax,'_ I told myself. _'Yeah, sure he kissed you a while ago, but that doesn't mean anything is going to happen.' _Telling myself that only made my heart race more and I leaned back against the wall and let my head fall back against it with a thud. _'I almost wish something would happen,'_ I thought and bit my lip anxiously. _'Good God I need to get a grip on myself. What am I, some horny teenager? Well,'_ I began to consider with a smile. _'Technically it HAS been a while.' _I was laughing out loud when the door to the elevator opened and I clamped my hands over my mouth quickly.

Blushing, I stepped off the elevator and, with a short realization, was happy the elevator didn't open straight into the captain's cabin. I felt stupid as I walked toward the door and it opened automatically because my plan had been to knock. I shook my head at myself and stepped inside the door, hearing water shut off inside the room to my right. A big fish tank was embedded in the wall to the left and was filled with several different kinds of fish I didn't recognize. I saw a small area to my right with an L-shaped desk with a computer and a picture frame with a picture of a woman that I guessed was Shepard. And on the far side of the room was a large bed with a nightstand on either side, a recliner-like chair sat in the corner to the left of it, and I could make out that a couch with a coffee table lined the wall to the right. A wall divided the area with the desk from the other half of the room, but the top half was glass and in that were models of spaceships I hadn't got the chance to see yet. I was surprised at the size of the room since it was easily twice the size of Liara's cabin.

"Hello?" I called. "Kaidan?"

His boots sounded heavy on the metal grating as he walked into my view. I fought the need to suck in a breath when I saw him. He had on only his boots and a pair of pants similar to mine with cargo pockets and a belt, hung low enough for me to see the top of his briefs. A towel was draped over his shoulders and his hair was slightly damp. His pecs were large and strong, leading down to his tight washboard abs. A light dusting of hair covered his sexy pecs and trailed down the line of his stomach, disappearing into his pants. He seemed a little surprised to see me, but he smiled at me and reached up to hold on to each end of the towel.

"I'm sorry," I blurted out. "I should have waited a little longer to come talk to you. I didn't even think about that you were taking a shower too." I blushed and looked away as I spoke.

"No it's alright," he said with a chuckle. "I mean I AM dressed and all."

I blushed what I was sure a bright scarlet. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Well, come on in," he said, turning his back to me and taking the two steps down into the other half of the room. I followed him in nervously. "What did you want to talk to me about," he asked as he sat down on the couch.

"Well," I hesitated as I sat down near him. He sat close to the corner of the half that allowed him to look at the fish tank so I decided to take the spot that was a close image to it facing towards the bed, though our bodied were pivoted towards each other. "It's about earlier."

His face instantly became painted in a worried expression. "Look I'm sorry if I came on a little strong."

"No, no, no," I protested, "It's not like that."

"Oh?" he raised a brow at me.

That's when I noticed how close he was sitting to me, his knee almost touching my own. "I just," I sighed, trying to sort out what I was trying to ask. "Look, Liara explained a lot to me when I talked with her. Considering what she told me, I just don't understand."

He sat back and said, "I see. She told you about Shepard." I nodded. He sighed and looked off at the fish in the lighted tank. "I won't lie to you. Shepard meant-"he sighed. "Shepard meant the world to me. But she's gone now…for good." He looked back at me and gave me a little smirk. "She'd be pissed at me if I didn't move on with my life. That doesn't mean it's easy for me, but there's something different about you."

I was taken aback. "There is?"

"Yes," he answered earnestly, sitting forward again and scooting up causing our knees to touch. "With you, from the very first moment I saw you… I feel… I don't know. Different." I cocked my head, slightly confused. "Look, call me romantic if you want, but in the few times I've been alone with you, the world just feels better. My heart has been hurting for a long time and having you around is like a balm on the wound. I want to keep that feeling." He reached out to me with one hand and touched my cheek while he rested the other on my knee.

I started into the earthy brown of his eyes, soaking in the words he'd just spoken. Finally I smiled, feeling the slight sting in my eyes of happy tears. "You really mean that?"

"Of course I do," he answered, both of his hands gripping me a little tighter. "But I don't want to push you into anything," he amended hastily. "I understand that you've been through a hell of a lot." His grip loosened lightly as he prepared to pull away.

In my joy, I let my heart take over my mind and I reached out to him, taking his gorgeous face in my hands and I leaned forward to kiss him. I wasn't soft the way he was earlier, but earnest and needful. He pulled me from my seat and into his lap as we kissed and I wound my arms around his neck. I felt his hands caressing my back as our tongues met and explored each other's taste. I moved my hips to straddle him and he responded by pulling me in tight. I broke the kiss for a moment in a plan to kiss his neck and he pulled me into him for a tight hug.

I hugged him back, pulling his head to my chest and I said, "Kaidan, I want you. I want to be with you right now."

He eased the hug and looked up at me. As soon as I looked back at him, he pulled his hand from behind me and took hold of my neck, pulling me into a possessive kiss. I ground my hips into his feeling his erection beginning to emerge. His mouth crushed into mine and held me more firmly, so I ground into him again. He growled beneath my lips and responded my letting go of my face to grab my ass with both hands and stand up, still holding me to him. I broke the kiss with a gasp of surprise.

He grinned and nuzzled my neck, kissing and softly nibbling me. I twined my fingers into his slightly damp hair with one hand and pulled the towel from his shoulders with the other, tossing it to the floor while he navigated around the coffee table. I dropped my head back in a pleasure-filled sigh and saw the huge skylight for the first time. I could see countless stars and blue-ish waves of something passing by. I smiled at the beautiful view and pulled my head back down to bury my nose into Kaidan's hair.

He had carried me from the couch towards the bed and he started to set me down on the floor, reaching back with one hand to untwine my legs from behind them so I may plant my feet on the floor. Standing up, Kaidan was taller than me and I had to come up onto my toes to kiss him. I felt one of his hands on the small of my back while the other, which had untwined my legs, came to squeeze my hip softly before he tugged my shirt out from where I had tucked it into my pants. He slid his battle-worn hand beneath my shirt and trailed up my flat stomach. He pulled my shirt up in the back as well and his other hand followed suit, gliding up my back. He broke our kiss to lift my shirt off over my head and drop it to the floor.

When I pulled my arms back down, I seized the buckle of his belt just as his lips returned to mine. I quickly loosened his belt and opened the front of his pants, but before I could do more he seized my arms and pushed me back onto the bed. I huffed a small protest but he smirked as he came down and caused me to lie back onto the bed. He slid one hand under me and lifted me up to him to scoot me back onto the bed as he hovered above me, teasing me with the heat of his body. When I started to reach back down to his pants, he grabbed one of my wrists and pinned my arms above my head with one hand. I squirmed against him, wanting to touch him more, but he had me squarely pinned.

I glared at him with a growl, but he chuckled and used his free hand to tease me, gliding it up the inside of my thigh to my undoubtedly hot center. I moaned and my hip thrust up into his hand. He leaned down and nibbled at my neck again, stroking me through my jeans as I moaned and pressed against him. I could feel him smiling against my neck while he tortured me.

I bit my bottom lip. "Please, Kaidan," my voice was husky with desire.

That seemed to be all the urging he needed because his hand went to my belt, undoing it with ease to open my jeans. Then he glided his hand to the outside of my hip and down my leg. I responded by bending my knee to bring up my foot, knowing exactly what he was doing. After removing my boot, he switched sides and hands, but kept my arms pinned down as he took off my other boot then his own. When his hand came back up, he grabbed my pants at the thigh and tugged, I lifted my hips and let him remove the oppressive material as I lifted my head and nibbled on his neck. I tasted the salt of his skin as he removed his own pants, briefs included, nipping at him with my teeth. He seemed to enjoy my urgings because he growled and instead of sliding my panties down he ripped them off viciously. I chuckled in response while he quickly removed my bra.

Then my laugh turned into a great moan of pleasure when his mouth closed on one of my exposed nipples and his hand went back to my exposed core and teased me by rubbing me lightly. His touch was like fire and I moaned loudly, wanting to feel him inside me, but he had other plans. His mouth explored its way to my other breast, nipping at my nipple, causing me to shake with the dual pleasure I was receiving. Then he moved downward, slowly releasing my hands in time for his mouth to reach the hot, wet cavern between my legs. I let loose a loud moan and my hands flew down to seize the covers of the bed as my hips thrust up to him. He pinned me back to the bed sharply as he continued to lick my wetness. I was gasping for air under the pleasure of his mouth and my legs started to shake. But he continued to urge me until he pushed me to the precipice of climax and I thrust hard into his mouth and let out a feral moan of pleasure.

His mouth left my core and he rose up, trailing kisses along my belly until he reached my mouth and kissed me. The faint hint of my taste lingered on his tongue as I returned his kiss with feral desire. His hand on the inside of my thigh lifting my leg up was the only warning I received before he teased me with the tip on his member. I dug my nails into his back, begging him to plunge into me, but he remained. He dipped into me and removed himself to the very tip, breaking off our kiss and bringing his lips to my ear to nibble my earlobe.

"Good God, PLEASE, Kaidan," I growled at him.

I could feel him smile. "You want it?"

"YES," I grit my teeth and scratched him with my other hand as well.

He nibbled my earlobe again. "As you wish," he whispered lowly.

He held nothing back as he slammed into my core with one hard thrust. My whole body reacted to him. My back arched, pressing my body into his, my nails dug into the skin of his muscled back, and a screaming moan escaped my lips. He moaned with me, his strong arms crushing me into him and I thought I felt blood at my fingertips. I whispered an apology, but he growled and bit into my shoulder as he thrust deep into me again. I was gasping beneath him as he continued to thrust into me hard and steady, eventually releasing my shoulder and gently licking up the small amount of blood he had drawn. We held onto each other tightly as our hips moved together, picking up a steady rhythm that slowly increased in speed.

Unexpectedly, he locked my legs behind him, rolled us over, and sat up with me. The position made me feel him even deeper as we approached the edge of ecstasy. He used one hand on my ass to keep the rhythm and took hold of my neck with the other. He held me so that we were staring into each other's eyes and I responded by wrapping my arms around his neck, coiling one hand into his hair. We were panting in unison and soon he couldn't hold back the moans escaping his lips. I wanted him so badly that I contracted the muscles in my core, unexpectedly sending me over the edge with a cry of, "Oh, God!" His hand gripped my ass hard and he roared as he climaxed with me, his hot seed spilling into me and filling me up. We sat there, panting hard and holding onto each other for a long time.

"Oh, fuck," I blurted out, bringing a hand to my chest. "I'm gonna die."

He laughed and it rumbled through my body. He lifted me up and I adjusted my legs to bring myself onto my knees before he pulled me with him to lie down and I stretched my legs back out. He followed the line of my arm until he found my hand and brought it to his lips where he kissed my palm and touched it to his cheek.

"I won't let that happen, Faylin," he whispered.

I nestled myself into the crook of his arm as he stretched his arm out. I smiled at his words, feeling for the first time since I had awoken someone that I could rely on and trust completely. He placed my hand on his chest and I toyed with the hairs there as he pushed my hair gently back from my face and kissed my forehead.

He nudged me with his nose. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you, Faye," he whispered, his voice relaying his intentions earnestly. "Do you believe me? Do you trust me?"

I lifted myself up a little and looked into his eyes. "Yes," I whispered back. "I absolutely do."


	6. Chapter 6

**I only own Faylin. All other characters, places, organizations, ect belong to Bioware.**  
** Please feel free to leave comments or message me with comments about the story. Enjoy. :****)**

**I experimented with this chapter by writing it from Kaidan's point of view. Please leave your opinions about it so I know if I should continue this way or just have things from Faylin's point of view. Thank you all very much!  
**

~*~Kaidan~*~

I'm not sure what woke me. I had rolled onto my side and felt the emptiness of the space beside me. When I opened my eyes, I confirmed that Faylin wasn't there in the bed with me. I lifted my head up and gazed around my cabin, finding that she was over on the couch facing the large fish tank. I smiled seeing her sitting there in an alliance uniform she had borrowed and my officer's jacket draped over her shoulders.

The table in front of her was littered with an odd assortment of parts and a computer that had broken down months ago. She was using her omni tool to re-connect an array of wires beneath it. But the omni tool she was using was a newer model that I commonly used. I concluded to myself that she must have gotten it from the armory in the hangar. Suddenly the holographic screen burst to life and twice as big as it originally was. I was impressed by her talent. She was moving her lips and I had to strain to hear that she was talking to someone via her omni tool.

"So it's not bad," she whispered her question.

"No," Liara's voice came through quietly. "It's not at all." I could hear her sigh. "Kaidan would never say something he didn't mean. He always acts with integrity. So if he told you he felt that way he meant it. And honestly I'm happy for both of you."

"Really," she asked, almost dropping a part as she moved it out of her way.

"Yes. I have wanted to see him happy for quite some time. And to be honest I've already grown a bit of an attachment to you. You're happiness…. It brings me a relief."

Faylin looked up and smiled. "Aw, Liara. That's so sweet. Anyway, I'm sorry to have diverged the conversation." She shook her head lightly. "I fixed the computer now."

"Good," Liara seemed a little surprised. "I'm impressed that you've been able to learn so quickly."

She blushed a little and it made me smile. "Well, I always was pretty smart, even if Cerberus gave me a extra push. And I'm interested to see what else they did."

"Well, Glyph scanned through all the files and sorted them. I had him create a body map. It should be coming up on your screen now." A rotating map of Faylin's body came up on the screen and she squinted at it. "It marked each individual change for you. Selecting them will pull up the files associated with that particular," Liara paused to find a word. "Adjustment," she said.

"Thanks. This will save me from having to read through all of it. I really appreciate this."

"You are welcome, Faylin. When Kaidan wakes up, you two should come down for breakfast."

She smiled. "Sure thing. See you down there in a while." I heard the beep of them disconnecting the call and she went back to observing the screen. I sat up in the bed, causing her to notice me and look around her nervously. "I'm sorry," she said. "Did I wake you up?"

I smiled. "No, not at all. What are you up to over there?"

She looked at the table and blushed. "I, uh….commandeered the table for a bit."

I laughed and climbed out of the bed, picking up my boxer-briefs from the floor. As I started to pull them back on I said, "I see that." She giggled nervously. "So you and Liara are working to find out what Cerberus was doing," I asked as I picked up my pants and slid them on.

"Yeah. Looks like the only data we picked up only has what they were doing to me though. None of it explains why," she tossed down a part she'd been toying with heavily and scowled. "It just doesn't make sense."

"Well, I doubt this cell of Cerberus even realizes that the Illusive Man is dead, but that doesn't mean they aren't acting with purpose," I told her as I crossed the room to take a seat beside her. I brushed a bit of hair from her face and kissed her gently on the cheek, my actions feeling as natural as breathing. She smiled in surprise and nuzzled my neck when I had looked away. "Maybe a set of fresh eyes would help." I chuckled as she wrapped her arms around my waist. "But I have to say I'd much rather be back in bed."

I took her face into my hand and lifted her chin to kiss her, taking in the sweet taste of her tongue. She broke the kiss to fend off my advances. "Maybe later, darlin'," she said in her already familiar southern twang. I looked at her curiously. "What? Hey I can't have you just using me for great sex all the time. Not that I would complain all that much."

I chuckled. "No, it's not that. I was just wondering where you were from."

"Oh," she blushed again. "I'm from Texas. Born and raised," she smiled.

"Hmm," I mused for a second. "Well, I don't think I've been with anyone from Texas, but I like it so far."

She laughed, "Well good. Now, do you want to actually pay attention to the data?" I nodded. "Okay, a few things we already know about. Biotics, physical enhancement, and then there's what I'm gonna call a slight learning curve."

"Learning curve," I raised a brown at her.

"Yeah," she answered a little disdainfully. "They used some kind of enzymes to permanently enhance the processing ability of my brain. So technically now I'm a genius. What is really surprising it the extent of the… improvements. My biotics rival that of an Asari commando and my physical capabilities are pretty extraordinary. I could probably take down Vega without breaking a sweat. I'm faster, stronger, and able to react on the fly. It's like they were trying to make me into a super soldier. Well, technically they did."

"That's unnerving," I said.

"Yes," she agreed. "And I have a feeling that you've already been tasked with trying to find out what they were doing and why."

I un-looped her arms from around me, "Yes I have." I turned to face her a little better. "But I've also been told about an offer the Alliance is considering."

She looked at me nervously. "Which is?"

"Well, they were considering asking you to join due to your previous enlistment in the military alone, but now… When Admiral Hackett finds all this out, he's definitely going to make the offer."

She looked away from me. "Hmm. I didn't even think that would be a possibility. That's kind of a big deal right?"

"Considering they want to immediately promote you to Major… yes."

She looked at me in shock. "You're kidding."

"No, I'm not."

"Wow," was all she could say. After a few moments she asked, "What do you think I should do?"

I considered it for a bit. "Well, I've seen you fight. I think it would be a fantastic idea. Put all those skills to use. Plus, as a biotic, you'll be monitored anyway so you might as well do what I did and get the paycheck for it."

"But wait," she said. "What about us?" Her hand crept up to my chest.

I laid my hand on top of hers and smiled at her. "I know how Alliance regs work," I said. "If a relationship already exists before enlistment, it is allowed to continue as long as duties come first. If you can put your duty before us, then we have nothing to worry about."

"Can you do that," she asked.

"Yes," I answered. The sound of her stomach growling loudly cut into our conversation. "Maybe we should go get some chow."

"Sounds like a good idea," she agreed.

I finished getting dressed and we headed down to deck 3. Liara was sitting at one of the large tables with a datapad in hand, a relatively common sight. We picked up our trays of food and joined her, Vega showing up right behind us. Faylin dove right into a conversation with Liara and Vega eyed me suspiciously.

"Yo, Alenko," he leaned over to me. I raised a brow in response. "You got something going on with little Miss Lola there?"

"Is it really your business to ask that, Vega," I countered.

He shrugged nonchalantly, "I'm just asking, bro. You two seem a little close now."

"Heeeeey, guys," Joker chimed in as he walked up with EDI and sat down across the table from me and next to Liara. EDI took the seat on his other side. "How's it going? Is everyone enjoying themselves while I sit up there and fly the ship?"

"Actually, Jeff," EDI responded. "I am the one currently flying the ship."

"Whoa," Faylin said beside me. "Is that a freaking robot?" I couldn't hide my chuckle.

"Negative. I am not a robot," EDI responded.

"EDI here is actually an unshackled AI," Joker explained it as if he were talking about the weather.

"AI?" Faylin was clearly shocked. "As in artificial intelligence?"

"That is correct," EDI confirmed. "I am a fully aware artificial intelligence networked into the Normandy's system."

"Yeah and she acquired that smoking hot robot body due to Cerberus," Joker said looking her up and down excitedly.

"She's not here to kill us or anything is she," Faylin asked me, pointing her fork in EDI's direction.

"No," I said with a smile. "EDI's on our side."

"Oh," she said. "Well then fuckin' a." I couldn't help but laugh. "So, I've been wondering," she said around a mouthful of eggs before swallowing. "I know I asked you the year, but what exactly is the date?"

"It's June ninth," I answered her before taking a bite of my own eggs.

"Sweet," she said. "That means my birthday is in four days."

"Awesome," Joker said. "We should have a major party to celebrate."

"Hell, yeah," Vega agreed enthusiastically. "I'd love to see if Miss Lola can dance as well as she fights."

"A party would boost morale," Liara said.

"I don't see why not," I agreed.

"So how old are you gonna be," Joker asked.

"Hmm," Faylin thought for a second. "Well, I was twenty-four when I died so I'll be twenty-five."

"Actually," EDI interjected. "Chronologically speaking she would be two hundred years old, though that is normally far extending the normal lifespan of any human."

I looked at Faylin who smiled. "Well damn," she dropped her fork onto her plate. "There goes my dating life."

"Why," I asked.

"Well, after one bad incident a long time ago I said I wouldn't date any younger men." I laughed.

"You could always date an Asari," Joker pointed at Liara who raised her brows at him.

"Oh, hot," Vega said slamming his open palm onto the table, causing the dishes to rattle.

Faylin laughed openly, causing my heart to flutter in my chest. Her smile was like a fresh breeze on my face and her laughter was like cool water on my skin. "Well, that's quite the interesting prospect and all guys but I have to tell you," she leaned in close, causing the rest of us to do the same…well except for EDI. "I'm more of a sausage type of girl." She leaned back and twiddled her fingers as if she were dismissing the subject. "Tacos just aren't my style."

"Well, damn," Vega pounded the table. "There goes the party." I laughed heartily at the joke.

"Hey, you can't blame us for suggesting it," Joker said. "Every guy ever just loves to see that girl on girl action." Liara was rolling her eyes at them.

The rest of the meal went on much the same way. Jokes were thrown around, mostly by Joker. I found that Faylin had a remarkable sense of humor as she joined in with him on a few. Together they made teasing jabs at Vega who protested with great vigor. He ended up challenging Faylin to a sparring match down on the fifth deck, but before they could leave EDI spoke up and told us we were approaching the citadel. I ordered her and Joker to return to the bridge and told Faylin we should get ready to meet Hackett on the citadel.

Faylin and I disembarked the ship together and waited at our docking bay as instructed. A young Turian C-sec officer came to meet us and I watched Faylin's expression as he approached. When he greeted us, Faylin surprised him by extending her hand when I introduced her. She looked him in the eyes with respect as they shook hands instead of like a bug under a microscope like I had expected.

"I'm here primarily to escort you to Ambassador Hackett's office because of the sensitive nature of your guest," he stated, glancing at Faylin. "If you would come with me please, I have a car waiting."

I remained silent about the Admiral's promotion as we rode with the officer to the embassies. Faylin took in the sights as we went silently, but she kept giving me smiles or trying to discretely point at things. It was hard to maintain composure when I was with her due to her bubbly nature. I chuckled at her a couple of times, but thankfully the officer didn't seem to notice. He dropped us off near the human embassy offices and told us where to go before leaving.

We made our way to Hackett's office which I recognized as the same office Udina had been in. When we came in, his Asari assistant greeted us warmly and told us he would be off the phone momentarily. Hackett was pacing on the far side of the room. When he caught sight of us, he stated he had to go and hung up.

"Commander Alenko," he addressed me. I responded in accordance with a salute that he waved off before shaking my hand.

"Ambassador?"

He chuckled. "Yeah," he said as he walked back to his chair and motioned for us to sit down. "I don't know how I let them rope me into this, but here I am, ambassador for the human race. Anyway, this is Mary Everton?"

Before I could answer, Faylin spoke up. "Yes sir," she responded. Her voice carried a new tone and for the first time I saw the soldier in her.

"A pleasure, Ms. Everton," he responded politely. "I only wish it were on better grounds. Now what is it that you found out Alenko?"

I explained to him everything Liara and Faylin found out about what Cerberus had been doing at the facility. As I spoke, his features turned down into a grim expression. I explained we had found nothing that indicated why any of the events had taken place. When I finished, Hackett pondered for only a moment.

"This doesn't bode very well, commander," he said. "From what you've told me, it sounds like Cerberus wanted to make the ultimate soldier."

"Lucky for you the 'ultimate soldier' chooses to be on your side," Faylin said. Her face was masked from emotion, something I found hard to think she was capable of.

"I'm glad to hear that, Ms. Everton," he responded. "I guess that means the commander informed you of what we have been considering."

"Yes sir."

"Then there's no need to dance around the subject then. If you're willing, all that will be required are a few tests of your abilities."

"What kind of tests?"

"Simulations," he answered. "It should only keep you here on the citadel for a week."

"We would be performing the tests here on the citadel, ambassador," I asked.

"Yes we would. We're still rebuilding back on earth so as a result our facilities are….ill equipped to test the way we need to. To put it frankly, you may have seen her in action, but I'm afraid that isn't enough."

Faylin huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well I have no qualms about proving my worth. I was a hell of a soldier before and, thanks to Cerberus, now I'm an even better one."

"Glad to see you're so eager," he smirked. "We'll start off testing first thing tomorrow at oh seven hundred. The Normandy will have to remain in dock while all this goes on. If all goes well she'll be stationed on the Normandy with you commander."

"Really," I asked in disbelief.

"Yes, commander. I managed to make Alliance brass see that it would be the easiest transition for Ms. Everton."

"I only have one condition," Faylin spoke up.

"Yes?"

"I don't want to use my old name anymore," she stated bluntly. "Everything about Mary Leann Everton is gone. There's no reason for me to hold that name any longer."

"We had come to the agreement that she deserved a new start," I added.

"Alright then, what is it you wish to change your name to?"

"Faylin Marie."

"And a last name?"

She suddenly seemed embarrassed. "I couldn't think of one."

"Commander?"

"Regretfully, neither could I."

"Well, since we're in a hurry and need to get this done, would you object to Hackett?"

"You're last name, sir?"

"Yes."

"I think it would be an honor."

"Well don't thank me just yet. Having my last name may end up putting the pressure on you. In any case, I'll have all your documentation sorted out by the morning. My assistant has set up a place for you to stay on the citadel and can instruct you on where the testing is taking place. I'll see you both in the morning."

"Yes sir," we answered in unison.


	7. Chapter 7

**I only own Faylin. All other characters, places, organizations, ect belong to Bioware.**  
** Please feel free to leave comments or message me with comments about the story. Enjoy. :****)**

**Another experiment chapter, bounces back and forth between Kaidan and Faylin. By the way, I wanted to respond to one comment by noting that I promoted Kaidan to Commander, since he helped in fighting the reapers and all. Anyway, enjoy the story! ^_^  
**

~*~Faylin~*~

Meeting Ambassador Hackett had been like falling back into the Air Force for me. When we walked into that room I was practically restraining myself from saluting him. I could tell that Kaidan saw the change in me when I fell into soldier mode, but I never got the time to talk to him personally after we left Hackett's office. I had been "asked" to retire for the evening even though it was in the middle of the day. I felt even less at ease when Kaidan had to return to the Normandy.

Whoever had arranged things for me acquired a very nice apartment for me to stay in. It was simple, but held a great view from the windowed wall lining one side of the apartment. The only room in there that you couldn't see the view from was the bathroom. The view of the Citadel looked similar to the view from a high rise apartment in New York. Buildings of all different heights were scattered about, advertisements were flashing out on holographic signs on the sides of some buildings, and people scurried about in their daily business. The difference was that the cars were flying by on invisible streets and of course there was a wide variety of alien species everywhere. But even as I sat on the plush couch and watched the night come alive in brilliant neon colors, something felt wrong. I finally broke down and did the only thing I could think of and called Liara.

"Faylin?" She was surprised that I called, but her voice held more than that. "I was just about to call you."

"Really?"

"Yes," she sounded a little on edge. "Hold on a second." I waited without a word, but got up from my seat and went to the window. I leaned against it with my forearm level with the top of my head. "There," she finally said. "I'm sorry but I had to encrypt this call to be sure no one would…..listen in."

"What's going on," my own voice unsettled me, holding the danger I felt.

"I've had some information come to me," she began to explain. "It's not the type of information that leaves one feeling at ease."

I felt impatient and it made me grit my teeth. "What's the information," I growled.

"Faylin," her voice was deep with concern. "The entire council will be watching these 'tests' they have you taking. When Hackett told them what we found out, they were very unsettled. If they believe that you are the super soldier Cerberus was trying to create… Faylin, they're going to kill you."

My heart skipped a beat and my stomach hit the floor. "What?"

"Unfortunately we've played right into their hands," she said.

"I don't understand. I've already explained that I want nothing to do with Cerberus. Why would they want to kill me?"

"The council thinks that Cerberus might be controlling you to attack them from the inside."

I tried to remain calm. "What do I do, Liara? I can't back out of the tests."

"The only thing you can do is to take them," she said. "But," she paused to make me listen. "You have to hold back some of your ability."

"Hold back? How? I don't have examples to go off of here."

"Make a few mistakes," she said calmly, her tone keeping me a little more at ease. "Don't make them obvious, but make it seem like a minor miscalculation."

I sighed and a long silence passed. "Am I gonna make it out of this alive?"

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "But I hope you do."

"Does Kaidan know about this," I asked.

"I thought it was best if he didn't know."

"We should probably keep it that way," I said. I sighed again. "I'm going to try and get some rest."

"Alright. Good luck, Faylin."

"Thanks," I said coldly before hanging up. I hit the window softly, restraining myself. "God, guide me and protect me."

The tests were taking place on a large spaceship that was ordered to be dry docked. They told me that they had used the ship for training with the assistance of virtual intelligence drones and such. When I got to the dock with my escort, I was not surprised to see the council there, though I gave them the impression that I was. Kaidan and Liara were there as well. We boarded the ship together and were escorted to the area where I would be tested. Luckily for me, my apprehension came off as nervousness and no one said anything about it.

Hackett informed me that the first tests would show my combat efficiency as we entered the staging area and he pointed out the window where he and everyone else would be watching me. He gave me instructions for the first test, biotics only, and then he and the rest of the council turned and went off to the viewing room. Kaidan and Liara wished me luck, Liara and I exchanging knowing looks, before they left as well and the door to the giant room closed behind them. Hackett spoke to me again from an intercom to notify me that no live rounds were going to be used, but if I was shot I would definitely feel a sting. I tried my best to give a cocky laugh, but I had no idea if I succeeded. I took cover behind a shield wall and let myself fall into soldier mode as Hackett began to count down to the start of the test.

~*~Kaidan~*~

Faylin seemed overly anxious that morning. I kept looking to Liara, but she only offered up that it could be nerves. It was when we were telling her good luck that I saw the glances they exchanged. In my gut I knew something was going on, but I didn't push the issue right away. As we left the staging area, I looked back at Faylin and caught the grim look in her eyes. It was certainly more than nerves bothering her. Seeing her that way had me just as anxious as the test finally began.

~*~Faylin~*~

I knew exactly where each drone was at when they were deployed and was able to keep up with them as the test progressed. I raised my biotics and began fighting, the drones shooting back at me. I allowed one to escape off to my left side, purposefully paying more attention to the right side as it flanked me. My original intention had to let it shoot me, but when it fired I managed to dodge, but not my much. I disabled it and moved on, letting another one sneak off. I tried to let my "mistakes" not be too obvious as the test progressed. By the end of the first hour, I let myself be shot four times by the drones and they declared the test done.

The second test was weapons free. That test lasted an hour as well. During it I tried to show a little wear by letting myself be shot six times. We commenced the third test immediately after. On the third test I was asked to obtain an object that was located on a high platform while fending off enemy fire. The room was altered a bit, floor and wall panels moving to adjust the battlefield. On that test, I messed up by jumping up a little higher than I should have to reach one platform that normally would not have been able to be reached. I finished out that test receiving only three shots, one a critical one from behind. After that one we rested for lunch.

I met Liara and Kaidan just outside the door. I hadn't expected Kaidan to be staring at me so intently and I was force to look away. He looked over to Liara when I did. That was when I realized he could tell something was wrong.

~*~Kaidan~*~

I could tell she was holding back during the tests. I kept watching Hackett and the other ambassadors, but it was apparent that they didn't have a clue. The few drones that managed to get shots on Faylin were purposefully ignored. She allowed them to pass by her detection. I almost couldn't believe what I was watching. Liara seemed to be repressing smiles as she watched. I grew angry as we watched each test being conducted. I didn't understand what the hell Faylin was up to, but I was sure as hell going to find out.

~*~Faylin~*~

"We're going to go ahead and call it a day," Ambassador Hackett said as he approached us. "The council has decided to discuss what we've seen already. Good work."

He and Kaidan exchanged salutes before he left and joined the rest of the Citadel Council as they began to leave. Kaidan then immediately turned his stony glare on me when they had walked out of ear shot. "Just what the hell was that," he asked coldly.

"I don't know what you mean," I lied.

"You know exactly what I mean," he stepped closer to me, pointing a finger in my face. "Do you expect me to believe you were trying your best during those tests?"

"Kaidan," Liara pleaded.

He turned on her sharply. "Just what the hell are you two up to?"

"I had to hold back, Kaidan," I began to explain, causing him to round back on me again.

"That's a load of bull," he hissed.

"Yes she did, Kaidan," Liara tried to reason with him.

"No she didn't. What she did in there was lie. How are they supposed to know what she can really do?"

"They would kill me if they knew what I could _really _do," I spat at him.

He backed up in shock. "No they wouldn't."

"Yes, Kaidan, they would. I have proof of it," Liara spoke up as my eyes began to sting. "When Hackett informed them of what he found out, they began to see her as dangerous. Our hope now is that they let her live."

Kaidan looked from her to me in disbelief. I couldn't stand there while he looked at me that way. "I'm tired guys," I gritted my teeth. "I'm going to my apartment to take a nap." I turned on my heel and strode off hastily, tears escaping my eyes as I walked off.

Thankfully, the council hadn't stuck around. They were long gone when I left the ship so there was no one there when I came out. I used the Citadel Rapid Transit to return to my temporary apartment. As soon as I got in the door I collapsed on the floor in a bawling heap. Kaidan's disbelief in me cut deeply and added into the fear I felt. As I lay there, crumpled in on myself, I wondered what I would do. _'Can I just let them snuff out my life without fighting back? Should I fight to live? Is it even worth it,' _I asked myself.

I managed to control myself again and get up off the floor. _'How could I have been so stupid to throw myself at Kaidan? He probably just used me to help get over Shepard. And I was dumb enough to fall for it. But I used him too. I just wanted to remember what it was like to be with Brandon and pretend that he was here with me. God, I'm so selfish,'_ I fell onto the couch.

I felt disgusted with myself. I knew Kaidan all of two minutes and crawled into bed with him like some two dollar whore. I had no idea if he'd truly meant anything he had said to me. Liara said that he always acted with integrity, but how could I really trust her word. Kaidan was just a man, a lonely soldier away from home. What guy in is situation wouldn't take advantage of a distraught woman. I burst back into sobs and pulled my knees into my chest, burying my face in shame.

~*~Kaidan~*~

"How could you act that way towards her," Liara has turned on me. "Do you see what you did," she asked me, pointing after Faylin who disappeared from our view. When I didn't answer she snapped at me again. "You just made her doubt everything, Kaidan. She's scared for her own life right now and on top of that she is now going to ask herself a whole lot of questions about you."

"What do you mean," I asked numbly, staring out where Faylin had vanished. She'd taken off hastily, fists balled up at her sides and her last expression had been tight and restraining.

"I know what happened the other night," she said. "Faylin confided in me. She felt that she had used you. But I told her that she hadn't and you hadn't used her either."

I couldn't bring myself to look at her. "Is it true what you said," I asked. "The Council will want to execute her if they know how strong she really is."

She hesitated before answering me. "I'm afraid it is true." She let out an aggravated huff and stomped a foot. "I've got to get back to the Normandy. I'm sure the Council is making a decision now and I want to be the first to get the information. I hate to say it, but I don't think I could let them execute her." She brushed past me without another word and left me standing there. I punched the wall angrily. My communicator began to chime at me then and I opened my omni tool to see who it was.

"Yes sir, Ambassador Hackett," I answered after pushing the button.

"Commander," his tone seemed riddled with exasperation. "I wanted to be the first to tell you that it is more likely that Ms. Faylin will not be asked to join the Alliance. It seems the Council stepped in on this one."

"I don't understand," I said. "What do you mean?"

"The Asari Ambassador believes it would be best to use her talents rather unrestrictedly as a spectre."

I was utterly shocked. "Really? The third human spectre," I said. "That's a big deal for us."

"Yes it is," he agreed. "In any case, I believe it would be best if she stayed on with the Normandy for a while and learned the ropes. It will take a few days for an official decision, but I thought you should know."

"Thank you, Ambassador," I said gratefully, already taking off down the hall after Liara.

"Sure thing," he said. "And Alenko," he paused. "Take some time off while you're here on the Citadel. Showing her the sights is probably a good idea."

"Yes, sir," I answered.

We hung up without another word and I took off in a sprint after Liara. She didn't get very far beyond the airlock of the ship and me running up on her scared the crap out of her. When I told her the news, she seemed overjoyed and nearly dialed Faylin's number right then, but I begged her not to. I felt that I should be the one to tell her so I could apologize. I shouldn't have gotten angry at her before finding out what was going on. And I was a fool t think that the Council wouldn't have looked at her that way. I left Liara in a much better mood as I headed off towards Faylin's place.

~*~Faylin~*~

I must have dozed off for a second on the couch because the sound of the buzzer scared me. At first I was trying to figure out what it was until it sounded off again. While a groan, I left the couch and went to the door. The small security screen by the door showed Kaidan standing outside shifting on his feet anxiously. In truth I didn't really want to see him, but I wasn't going to ignore him either. I opened the door and glared at him angrily.

"What do you want," I spat.

He swallowed my words and asked, "May I come in please?"

I sighed and walked away from the door. I heard him follow me in and the door shut as I went to the kitchen for a drink. I found some beer in the fridge and took one out. I opened it and took a drink before turning back to him. He was watching me intently as he sat down at the island bar. I leaned against the counter in front of the sink. "Well?"

"Look, Faylin," he began. "I'm really sorry about earlier."

"No you're not," I snapped. Then I growled into the beer bottle before taking a drink, "Not yet."

"Hey," he protested, standing up and starting to round the island. "I get it. You're pissed. You have every right to be pissed at me, but just stop for two seconds and hear me out." I rolled my eyes and huffed, but he just stared at me with those pleading earthy eyes that made the walls around my heart start to crumble. I gave in a little and set the beer down on the counter and turned back to him with my palms open and brows raised as if to say, 'happy now?' "Thank you," his voice was soft. "I really am sorry about earlier. I should have asked more calmly what was happening and I definitely shouldn't have doubted you." I managed to refrain from making both verbal and non-verbal comments. "I just heard from Hackett."

"And?"

"And," he continued. "The Council is thinking of making you a spectre instead." When I looked at him confused, he explained what spectres do and what a huge honor it was. "And he wants to keep you with us on the Normandy while you learn the ropes."

"What if I don't want to be on the Normandy," I asked coldly. He looked like I'd slapped him in the face. I glared at him. "I'm not fond of being used. You know I really thought that we could have something between us," I turned and rounded the other side of the island, walking into the living room. "I can't explain what it is that draws me to you. You just remind me so much of Brandon. But it was so easy for you to round on me like that and think I was lying. How do I know you really mean anything that you say to me?"

"Because you feel it in your heart," he said from behind me, his voice approaching me slowly. "Just like I felt it in mine." He sighed. "I would never use you, Faylin. If I wanted a one night stand, I'd pick up some girl at a bar not rescue her from Cerberus. I want something real. I want something that's going to last." He paused, waiting for a response. "Hell, we didn't even know you were there until after we infiltrated the compound. We were sent out to try and take out the last cells of Cerberus left so they can't regroup. When we found out what they were doing and I saw you in that tank," he paused again and I turned around to face him. He was looking down at his feet. "I'm the one who made the call. I decided that we couldn't just leave you there. I forced Vega and Liara to listen to me and convinced them that it was the right thing to do, and all because I wanted to know who you were. Even as an unconscious woman, you captivated me." I froze, unable to say anything. He looked up and locked eyes with me. "Whatever it is that you feel…. I feel it too."

I was the one who looked away then. "I feel like I've seen you before," I said. I don't know why." After I said that, images flew through my mind and I stumbled back a couple steps. Kaidan jumped forward and caught me by the elbows, asking me if I was okay. When I looked back at him, I felt the recognition. "I was awake before," I said. "The person that was watching over me in that tank forgot to make sure I was being sedated and I saw images of you on the computer screen. It was something about you becoming a spectre I think. That doctor was talking about an Ambassador Udina, the one Liara told me about, and he said you wouldn't even know that Udina was working with Cerberus till it was too late."He seemed shocked. "That must be why I knew I could trust you." I reached up and laid my hand on his cheek. His eyes closed and he leaned into my touch. I was suddenly glad to have him there and felt guilty for being so mad at him. "I was so scared last night," I whispered. "I just wanted to see you and tell you what was going on so you could tell me that I would be okay." I started to cry again.

His eyes flew open and he took my face in his hands. I tried to look away, not wanting him to see me upset. "Hey," he said. "Look at me. It's okay." He folded me into his arms and combed his fingers through my hair. "I never would have let them hurt you. I don't care what it would have taken. They would have never touched you."


	8. Chapter 8

**I only own Faylin and Cait. All other characters, places, organizations, ect belong to Bioware. Please feel free to leave comments or message me with comments about the story. Enjoy. :)**

~*~Faylin~*~

Kaidan had tried to talk me into going out and seeing the sights on the Citadel, but I asked him if we could stay in. I told him I just wanted a quiet, normal night. He was more than happy to oblige. He ordered us dinner from a place called Apollo's Café, steak sandwiches, and a movie. The glass wall doubled for a television, blacking out the lights and sounds of the Citadel to show the movie on a large square in front of the couch.

We kicked off our shoes and made ourselves comfortable before the movie started, but we could care less about watching it. We chatted away as the movie played in the background, sharing our pasts with each other. I was still a little reserved at first, but Kaidan had a way of making me feel at ease. We talked briefly about our past loves and wished them a happy afterlife. At some point I begged him to talk to me about Earth, to tell me what it was like before the reapers attacked.

He told me of his family's home in Vancouver with the balcony that overlooked English Bay and of all the things he loved about it. I could hear the longing in his voice and knew he missed those peaceful times. When he grew quiet I shared a story of my own about a night that I had spent with my first serious boyfriend stargazing.

"I remember lying in the bed of my dad's old pickup truck and just gazing up at the stars," I had said. "I told myself that somewhere out there was another planet with life." We both smiled, but mine faded as I continued. "It was a year later after we had split up that I found myself there again. Just lying in the back of dad's truck on a clear autumn night, looking up at the stars… I was so lonely then. That guy kind of broke my heart. Anyway, I just looked up at the stars and begged that one day I would find the right guy to love me completely." I let out a reminiscent sigh. "Even though I married Brandon…. I don't know."

Kaidan leaned forward and tried to look in my eyes, but I kept looking away. "What," he asked. "You can say it."

I let out a long breath as I tried to release my nerves. "I just feel like what I felt then isn't as strong as this," I reached out and touched his hand.

He looked a little taken aback, but pleasantly so. He smiled at me as he reached out took my beer from my hand. I furrowed my brow in confusion as I watched him set it down on the end table behind him next to his own. My bewilderment was only momentary because when he turned back around he took my face in his hands and began to kiss me fiercely. I grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and pulled him to me as I lay back on the couch. One of his hands left my face to move one of my legs so he could place himself between them. Just as his kiss ventured from my lips to my neck, the communicator on my phone began to ring. I huffed in protest and he growled against my neck, but then his phone began to ring as well. We pulled apart and shared a glance before- nearly in perfect unison- we looked to our omni tools.

I punched the holographic button to answer the call. "Hello?"

"Miss Hackett," the female voice was calm and sure. "You are asked to report to Ambassador Hackett's office immediately for urgent business."

"Uh, thank you," I said, taken aback.

I ended the call and looked to Kaidan. "We've got to go," he said urgently.

The next hour passed by in such a flash I could barely remember it. All of the Ambassadors had gathered in Hackett's office to instate me as a Spectre. Then we were informed that we were headed out to continue investigating why Cerberus had been experimenting on me. Our only break came in the loss of contact with a Salarian research station. One of the scientists that had been working there had managed to escape and reported to us that Cerberus had been holding the base for some time and covered their tracks by allowing very restricted contact. On the day I was rescued the Cerberus leader went on a rampage and started to kill the Salarian scientists. The Council ordered us to get our things and go there immediately before Cerberus decided to move again. The next thing I knew I was back on the Normandy SR2 and we were leaving the dock of the Citadel.

I decided to find my own quarters on the Normandy so that I could focus on honing some of my newfound skills. The more I learned, the better I would be able to fight. Kaidan ordered that the starboard observation deck be cleared for me. I would have protested the use of such a large space, but a sharp look from him upon opening my mouth kept me from doing such. Instead, I just went straight down to the crew deck to my new temporary quarters.

I had a low table brought in and set up between the couch and the viewing window. One of the crew brought me the computer that I had fixed just a few mornings before and I smiled when I saw him gingerly set it down on one end of the long table. When I was finally alone, I found that I was unable to focus on doing anything. My mind drifted to thoughts of Kaidan.

I thought about the heat of his hands as they had roamed over my body a few nights before. I felt my breasts ache a little, yearning for his fiery touch. I growled and stood up from the couch where I had been sitting. I was aware that Kaidan was far too busy for me to go see him and it frustrated me.

Not knowing what to do, I shucked the leather jacket I had donned when I left the apartment on the Citadel. The air in the room was cool on my bare arms as I paced the space in front of the window. My brow furrowed in frustration as my mind drifted to the memory of Kaidan's kiss on my neck. I couldn't stay distracted like that. My gaze was suddenly drawn to an exposed bar on one side of the room. I walked over to it and hopped up to grab it. It was high enough that my feet were off the floor.

I adjusted my grip on the bar and crossed my ankles before beginning to lift my body weight up and down. I counted out my reps, attempting to focus on just counting. When I had done twenty-five, I hopped down, but my mind was still wandering off. I returned to my place in front of the window and dropped down into a plank position and started a set of push-ups. After I reached twenty-five, I rolled over and did sit ups. After that I followed with static lunges and repeated the entire set again. After several sets, I wasn't exhausted, but I was tired enough to be able to focus again. I sat down on the couch and used the computer to start on the list of training vids that Liara had suggested.

It took us three days to get to the research station. I spent my time secluded mostly. Liara came and checked on me every day in the morning before breakfast and just before dinner. Kaidan spent his time working mostly, or sleeping. We saw each other at meal times, but I was distracted. I wanted to already be at the station so I could find out more. On the third night though, I had a strange dream.

_ I stood in a room. Or perhaps I thought it was a room. Everything was stark white. I was naked, but it didn't bother me. Then a soft wind began to blow and billowy clouds appeared and above me a blue sky materialized. I was standing atop a cloud now, my bare feet warm against its soft surface. A cloud brushed over me and a white dress slowly came into being. It was silky against my skin and seemed to flow on forever._

_ "I've been waiting," a soft familiar voice called me._

_ I looked up with a smile. "Cait," I whispered the name like a soft prayer. Looking before me, I saw my childhood friend standing only a few feet away. A matching billowy dress enveloped her as well. Her golden honey hair hung down behind her, lifted softly by the breeze. She set her bright jade-colored eyes upon me and smiled. Her face was still the same as I remembered, marked by a delicate nose and high cheekbones, both __dusted lightly with freckles,_ seductively arched brows, and pouty lips. I smiled at her, feeling the lightness of my heart.

_ "I've been waiting," she repeated._

_ "I was on my way," I said._

_ "You still are," she whispered._

_ Suddenly the clouds split between us, carrying her farther away from me. I cried out her name and panicked. A somber look overtook her delicate features. I called her name again and began to move toward her. As I moved closer, she turned from me and the clouds gave way below me. I tried to grab anything to keep me from falling, but I was pitched down into the blackness below._

I woke up with a scream. Tears streamed down my face as I pulled my knees to my chest and backed up to the headboard. I cried uncontrollably. My chest began its slow painful ache as the longing hit me hard. I felt alone again in the universe. I could have easily remedied my sorrow by heading up to see Kaidan, but I didn't want that. I wanted my best friend back. I wanted her by my side to console me the way she always would, brushing back my hair and singing a soft lullaby.

A knock on my door drew my attention. I wiped fretfully at my stinging eyes, but I knew the evidence of my tears would be read easily in the scarlet flush of my cheeks and puffy eyes. I groaned, wanted to be left alone for a while longer.

"Who is it," I called, managing to keep my voice steady.

"It's me," Kaidan called from outside my door.

_'Oh great,'_ I thought. "Just a minute," I called. I stalked quietly across the room to splash water on my face from the sink on the other side of the bar. After drying my face, I stalked back to the door and opened it.

Kaidan was standing there, looking down at the floor. When he looked up, I waved him in and walked over to sit on the couch and look out the observation window. For the split second I had allowed myself to see the reaction on his face. He had been surprised by the look on my face. I heard him deliberately walk in and the door slid shut behind him.

"Are you alright," he asked, caution thick in his voice.

"I'm fine," I responded far too quickly. "What's up?"

"We're about to reach the research base," he informed me. "I came to get you so you can be part of the team going in. Are you sure you're okay?"

I hopped up from my seat and went to the drawers near my bed, pulling out a pair of jeans and socks. "Yes," I answered. "It's nothing to worry about." I slid off the pair of shorts I had worn to bed and began to climb into the jeans I'd retrieved.

"I'm sorry," he said regretfully. "But you don't seem very fine to me."

I put on my belt and sat on the edge of my bed to slide on the pair of socks, allowing him for the first time since I had let him in to get another glimpse of my face. "I just had a bad dream is all," I said hurriedly. I snatched up my boots I had lined against the wall and began to slide them on, tucking the ends of my jeans in their tops.

"Oh," he sounded defeated. I finished with my boots and hopped back up. When he looked at me he cocked his head to the side a little in examination. "It's more than that," he accused.

I huffed. "No, it really isn't. It was just a bad dream. Most likely it was just a byproduct of all the stress."

He opened his mouth to speak then shut it again. The look in his eyes said he hadn't accepted defeat yet despite his silence. "Let's go then," he said and strode off to the door.

It was only Kaidan, Liara, Vega, and I who left the ship after we docked with the station. Kaidan seemed to have shrugged off my earlier reluctance to share my troubles with him. I went on alert instantly when the docking bay doors opened.

The long hallway was half dark, many of the lights broken, sparks of electricity setting off intermittently. At the end of the hall, the body of a Salarian scientist lay in a pool of blood. He was facing us, eyes open and face frozen in terror. I pulled a semi-automatic machine gun from the holster on my hip and held it at the ready. The others did so as well with their own choice of weapon almost at the same time. Kaidan led the way up the hall, sticking to one wall. I followed behind him with Liara and Vega close behind on the opposite wall.

Kaidan knelt down at the end of the hall near the body and peeked around the corner. "EDI," he whispered into his comm. "Have you hacked into the system yet?"

"Yes," she chimed back. "It seems a distress call was set out nearly twenty-four hours ago, but it was intercepted."

"Intercepted?" Vega vocally expressed our mirrored shock.

"Correct," EDI responded.

"What about recently," Kaidan asked.

"I don't know," she responded. "There is an encryption applied to the system. Further investigation of the situation cannot be performed remotely."

"Great," Vega huffed.

"I supposed we have no choice," Liara whispered.

"Looks like we're going in blind," Kaidan said.

I clenched my jaw. My gut said something was seriously wrong, but at the same time it told me I needed to continue. I followed Kaidan closely, remaining ever alert.

The first area we entered was the security station. We entered a short hall of inactive scanners. It was clear that the security systems were down. The camera was facing the floor, its lens blown out and sparking. The door was cracked open, it's controls busted. With a nod toward the door by Kaidan, Vega brushed past us and holstered his weapon to pry it open farther. I passed through first, followed by Liara who went straight to the security office door and hacked the lock to open it. Kaidan squeezed in behind me as I followed Liara.

She had already made it to one of the computers. I looked around the room. The two chairs in the room had tumbled to their sides, their occupants included. Several of the screens were broken, one still operating, but only static flashed beneath the cracks. There were sprays of blood nearly everywhere. I felt like I would vomit, but I diverted my eyes to look at the computer Liara was working at.

"Damn it," she cursed. "I can't get anything. It's completely fried."

Kaidan's voice was grim and deep behind me. "Alright, let's move on."

I couldn't hide the small amount of fear that leaked out into my features as I turned and followed Kaidan out. Vega had waited just outside the door for us. As we continued through the station with EDI tracking where we had been already, everything was much the same. Lights were broken and flickering wildly as electricity sizzled and popped. Bodies were everywhere as well. Some of the people had been in the middle of work, others had tried to run. A few seemed to have been crudely moved aside, piling up along the side of a hallway or in a corner of a small room.

The labs were a different story altogether. Unknown experiments had been abandoned in the chaos. Animals that were submitted for testing had been quickly killed, but a few had escaped. We found a room with three scientists that had been viciously mauled by the varren they were testing on. By the looks of it, after the scientists were dead, the varren had been killed by whoever had attacked the facility. I couldn't stop myself from crouching over a trash bin in an empty room across the hall to vomit. After quickly regaining my composure, I returned to the hall. No one said a word.

We finally reached a larger lab that occupied one entire deck of the station. The door had been disabled, but Liara skillfully hacked it open for us. Inside, the lab was pristine, untouched by the destruction that we had passed by. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up and my stomach clenched tighter.

The space was moderately open with an observation desk posted up on a raised platform in the center and the rest of the room tiered down in three levels from that. My heart began to raced, pounding hard in my ears as I tried to breathe calmly. Vega and I stayed near the door and scanned the area while Kaidan and Liara move to the observation desk. I tried to listen to their indistinct voices as I scanned the room. Much to everyone's surprise, a large screen came to life and a voice called out from several speakers posted around the room.

"Miss Everton," the man's voice scared me so bad I nearly shot one of the speakers. I spun around to see the screen, able to see the reversed image from my side of it. "I'm glad to see that you are safe and unharmed." I spun around, searching for cameras in the room, but I found none.

"It's a recording," Liara called to me.

I began a slow approach toward the observation desk. "Doubtless by now you have discovered that you are now one hundred and seventy-five years after you died. That was no small feat to achieve I might add. And I can more than just assume you're wondering why you were chosen." I had moved into the small area beside Liara and Kaidan. "To put it simply," the man was looking at a cigarette in his hand, but his gaze turned to the camera. "You weren't chosen. We plucked many test subjects out of their former lives in that time. Of course we hoped to succeed long before now." Liara and Kaidan mumbled something about him looking similar to the Illusive Man.

Having done a fair share of research I knew this man talking to me was younger. But he had the same strong jaw structure and sharp nose. He had dark brown hair and thick brows that hovered over his striking, lightning-blue eyes. The corners of his thin-lipped mouth were turned up in a smirk. His voice had some of the same deep tones of the Illusive man, but it was not exactly the same.

"I think you will recognize another test subject of ours," he said with a smile, revealing rows of perfect white teeth.

A picture flashed up onto the screen. I gasped in surprise and my hand flew up to cover my mouth as tears stung my eyes. I balled my fists and glared at the screen. "You son of a bitch," I yelled.

"You're husband's death was easy enough to fake as a suicide," he said lightly. Another picture flashed across the screen and tear escaped my eyes. It showed Brandon lying on the bathroom floor with his wrists slit open and my picture clutched in his hand. "'A lonely husband takes his own life after the death of his loving wife.' Such a pity, that. But I digress. My intention had originally been to leave you a gift, but after I left that station, I changed my mind. Why should I make it so easy for you? So I sent men to destroy my little gift. But if you reach it first then you're more than welcome to it. If you live, of course."

"What makes you think I want anything from you, asshole," I spat at the screen angrily, my hands beginning to shake.

"I believe that this 'gift' will be of great interest to you because it is someone you know."

I stood in shock. "Liara," Kaidan barked at her.

"I'm on it," she said, turning to another computer and working quickly.

I clenched my fists hard, making them ache. "But I have the facility locked down. Hopefully you can work fast and reach her before my men do, because if you don't," he lowered his voice. "Her death will be on your hands this time."

The screen abruptly went dark. "Her?" I muttered, still shocked.

"I've got it," Liara shouted.

I spun around and looked over her shoulder at the screen. A tank identical to the one I had awoken in was in view of the camera. A slender woman with long hair the color of golden honey was floating in the tank, still slumbering under the effects of sedatives. My jaw dropped open. "No," I said gravely. "Not her. No."

"Who is it," Kaidan asked.

"Cait," her name came out as a whisper. "My best friend," I explained. "He killed her and brought her back too." I heard the tears on the edge of my voice.

"Kaidan," Liara's voice was full of warning. "We need to move fast. There is a lot of Cerberus between us and her. I'm sending the location to our omni tools should we get split up. But we need to move now."

I jerked like I had been slapped in the face and turned to catch Kaidan's eye. "I want to split up. I'll try to sneak past them so I can get there first. Should be easy if you get their attention."

"I'm not getting shot for you," Vega protested.

Kaidan ignored him, nodding in agreement. "But if you come across anything with data, that comes first. We need to know what the hell is going on and where exactly this guy went. Is that clear?"

"Clear as crystal."


	9. Chapter 9

**I only own Faylin and Cait. All other characters, places, organizations, ect belong to Bioware. Please feel free to leave comments or message me with comments about the story. Enjoy. :)**

**For one of my commenters: I was unaware of the ranking statuses, though I looked for them for a long time before starting my story. I assumed that since the main character in ME 1, 2, and 3 is "Commander" Shepard that it would be a higher ranking. However I can't rewrite the entire story now to accommodate that, but I thank you for bringing it to my attention. My intention was to show that I had given Kaidan Alenko the position of commander of the Normandy. Forgive me for my oversight, please.**

**As to the way my character describes herself, I was merely trying to display that she has a hard time believing how beautiful she looks in comparison to what she remembers. So it may seem like an elephant to you, but really it is only an attempt to show her personality. I do thank you for your constructive criticism though and am happy that you seem to be enjoying the story.**

**I will say that I am attempting to focus more on Faylin and Kaidan and now Cait and Vega, though we don't see a lot of his personality in ME3 so if it gets a little OOC I apologize. I hope that everyone continues to enjoy the story. :)**

~*~Faylin~*~

My heart was hammering so hard in my chest I thought it would burst. I left out the opposite side of the room from where I saw the others disappear, and accessed the maintenance shaft. I was barely able to stand inside the shaft I could touch each wall by barely stretching out my arms. Cord-covered wires and pipes lined the ceiling above me, flowing straight forward. I pulled up my omni tool with the map of the station that had been given to us by the Salarian Ambassador and checked my location in relation to Cait's.

I took off running down the shaft as silently as I could manage. It would bring me close, but I would still have quite a way to go to get to her. As sweat broke out on my brow and I struggled to keep from tripping on pipes or wires as thick as my forearm. My dream began to run over in my head and I pictured her standing just out of my reach as the ground gave way beneath me.

I didn't realize I had tears streaming down my face until I reached the end of the shaft and bent down to pull open the hatch. I could hear men outside in the lab I was about to emerge in. Anger ignited inside me, sparking the activation of my biotics. I kicked the hatch. Blue fire erupted from the sole of my foot and wrenched the door off its hinges, sending it flying into the room. I heard a bout of startled shouts before I ducked under the door and entered the room.

I'm sure I was a shocking sight, busting from a maintenance hatch with biotic energy surging through me. They stared at me for a moment, stunned silent. Then one of them shouted to open fire. Without raising a finger, I threw up my barrier, watching the bullets ricochet off the sheer blue wall. When they stopped for a moment to reload, I dashed forward. I caught the man closest to me with a dropkick to the chest. Just before I hit the ground, my body twisted in the air and I landed on my hands and feet, my knees crouched into my chest. With a similar rotating motion like the kick I had used in the hangar of the Normandy when I was first testing my abilities, I spun toward the second closest man. He was staring at me wide eyed, his hands fumbling nervously as he tried to reload his weapon. I kicked upward, sending his unloaded gun out of his hands. He turned to run and I sent a biotic blast into him, knocking him against the far wall.

Shots rang out from the hallway, breaking the glass that stood between the lab and the hall. I ducked instinctively and jumped behind an overturned desk for cover. I snatched a grenade off my belt and tossed it over my head in the direction of the bullets. After startled shouts from my attackers the grenade exploded with a bang and a rumble. I peered over the top of the desk and saw only smoke in the hallway. I decided to keep going whether they were dead or not. I jumped back over the desk and ran into an adjoining lab to get further down the hall.

"Kaidan," I called over the communicator.

"What is it," his voice held a nervous urgency. "Are you in trouble?"

"Not really," I chuckled darkly. "Just ran into some Cerberus soldiers. I took them out easy enough, but I still have two decks to clear before I get to Cait."

"Yeah, we've got Cerberus here too," he said. "There are a lot more than I expected to see down here. But they keep calling for back up so I think we are being a good distraction."

I smiled. "I'll try to slip past any more that I may see if it's possible. If I can't I'll take them out. Just let me know if y'all are getting too much heat down there."

"Don't worry about us, Faylin," Liara's voice was calm and soothing. "You just worry about getting to your friend. Cerberus is no match for us." I smiled again.

"You heard her," Kaidan chimed in, a broad smile reflected in his tone.

"Alright then," I said as I reached the door at the end of the hall that lead to the stairs. "I'll let you know when I get there."

"Copy that," Kaidan responded.

I dashed up the stairs to the next deck. Sweat was dripping down my spine and chest and my heart was still pounding. The image of Cait inside that tank remained in my mind as motivation. As I reached the last step to get to the next deck, the door slid open. Two Cerberus soldiers came out before I could reach the door, but I had the upper hand on them.

I let out a fierce battle cry as I charged them, a blue fire enveloping my hands. They turned to me just in time to see my palms cover the visors of their helmets as I grabbed them and pushed them hard into the wall. The impact was hard enough to dent the metal and knock them both unconscious. I released them and they slid down the wall, collecting in folded heaps on the floor.

Unfortunately, the rest of their squad was now alerted to my presence. They took positions behind whatever makeshift cover they could find before I could burst through the open door. As a barrage of bullets was fired my way, I dashed to the left, diving behind a large crate. I stayed quiet for a second so I could hear them, my amplified senses able to detect their positions.

One unfortunate soul had taken cover on the other side of my crate. I leapt up and spun around, taking a strong hold on the shoulder of his pristinely white armor and jerked him upward. He dropped his weapon as I pulled him over the crates and slammed him on the floor. The air was pushed from his lungs, stunning him long enough for me to release him, draw my hand back again, and use my omni blade to stab him square in his chest. I was looking at his face through the visor of his helmet upon impact and saw the gush of blood erupt from his mouth as he coughed out the last of the air in his lungs.

I turned from him with my omni blade still embedded in his chest and peered over the crate. Another soldier was making his way over a similar crate a few yards away, shouting his partner's name. I scowled as I withdrew my blade then gracefully lifted myself up and over the crate. The soldier froze when he saw me charging at him, but he didn't have the time to turn and run before I buried my omni blade in his gut. His expression mirrored his comrade's as he coughed up blood. I withdrew my blade slowly then pivoted my right foot back to add power to a kick I delivered to his side, knocking him to the left where he hit the wall with enough force to draw out another blood soaked cough.

Another soldier had moved to mirror my location on my right. I heard him as he lifted his rifle to rest it on top of an overturned desk. I spun around quickly, gathering a ball of biotic energy in my palm and released it at him. It hit him in the face and burned through his helmet. He released blood curdling screams as he released his rifle and grabbed at his melting face. The last two soldier's gazes were draw to the man, fear taking them over. I turned my gaze to a loose ceiling tile and reached up as if I was about to grab it, seizing the heavy object with my biotic power. I began to pull my arms back down, feeling the resistance of it as if I truly held it in my hands. I pulled harder with a sharp jerk and it came crashing down on the last two men. I grimaced as I heard it hit them, coming out of my soldier's trance.

I tried not to look at the bodies as I sprinted to the door. I had to hack the door control to get it open. When I succeeded, I continued past the labs in a blind rush. The door to the stairwell was locked as well so I hacked it quickly and mounted the stairs as fast as I could. I checked my map when I was on the landing for the next deck. The stairwell was unblocked to get to the deck Cait was on so I continued upward. The door to that deck was locked as well. I prayed that the door was locked due to a lockdown and that Cerberus had not made it there yet.

I was able to hack the door as quickly as the first two and I sucked in a nervous breath as I watched it open. The hallway was clear, but dark. I stepped through the door and the lights came on automatically. I released the breath I had been holding and took off down the hallway, turning down the second hall that branched off. The small lab sat at the end of the hall. The door was still locked, the holographic controls glowing scarlet. My heart was pounding like a deafening drum in my ears.

"I'm at the lab," I called over the comm, my voice betrayed me by reflecting my anxiety.

"Hurry," Kaidan called back. "I'm afraid they found out what we were doing. They're trying to break off from fighting with us."

"Shit," I cursed loudly as I pounded my omni tool against the door control. "The door won't open. I can't hack it." I heard pounding on a door opposite to the end of the hall where I entered. "They're right behind me."

"Cover me, Kaidan," Liara called, a hint of urgent nervousness lingering in her cool tone. "I'm sending her a better hacking program."

"Got it," he called back. "Vega you heard the woman. Turn up the heat."

"With pleasure," I could hear the grin in Vega's voice.

I beat at the door frantically. "Come on!"

"There. Faylin try now," Liara shouted.

The door down the hall burst open. I slammed my omni tool against the control once more. My other hand was shaking so hard I had to ball it into a fist, but that didn't help. The door finally slid open and I burst inside, forcing it shut behind me and sabotaging the control. "I'm in! Cerberus is right behind me." My voice shook, undoubtedly relaying my fear.

"Let's take care of these bastards quick and get our asses up there," Vega called.

I looked around the dark room, panting hard. Cait's glowing tank provided the only light. My heart dropped to my stomach as I crossed the short distance to her tank. An IV was inserted into her arm and the same oxygen-providing mask as I had on when I awoke sat strapped to her face. I turned back to the computer sitting on the desk I had passed. My fingers glided over the keys numbly as I commanded that the tank drain and open. The water began to recede noisily and I turned back to Cait. As the water level fell lower, her body drooped loosely. I raised my hand and used my biotics to hold her up from falling while I waited for the door to open.

Finally, the glass slid over and I let her fall down into my arms. "Please, please, please," I heard myself begging as I lowered her down and sat with her draped over my lap. I looked to her arm and pulled out the IV then removed the mask from her face. A light pink outline marked where the mask had been on her delicate face. I felt tears stinging my eyes as I leaned down and put my ear over her mouth and nose. I sighed in relief when her soft breathing came. I felt her pulse through her wrist, strong and steady.

I lifted her up in my arms as I stood and kicked open a locker. It was empty so I kicked open the next one. A melody of clothing fell out. I turned to the other wall where I had seen a blanket folded on a shelf. I used my biotics to pull it down and lay it on the floor and laid her on top of it. I dressed Cait in a pair of jeans and tank top with a cute pair of high-heeled boots I was sure she'd appreciate and snagged a leather jacket to put her in to keep her from waking up cold.

Banging started at the door and I jumped in surprise. I wasted no time as I put a set of armor on her, managing to get the helmet to fit snugly. Almost immediately I could tell she was breathing in air from the suit itself. I slid my breather mask down to cover my face and looked at the map again. Making my rash decision, but knowing I had nowhere else to go I called to Joker on the Normandy.

"Joker, I need help," I called nervously, afraid he would turn down my crazy request.

"What's going on," he asked.

"Is it possible for us to survive if I break out this wall behind me," I asked.

"The probability of your survival is ninety-seven percent as long as the door remains closed," EDI chimed.

"Oh, shit," Joker cursed. He called down to a pilot to get in the shuttle. "Just hang on to your friend tight. Once that wall goes, you're gonna get sucked out."

"Kaidan," I called sharply.

"We're almost there," he answered.

"Head back to the docking bay. I have to take an emergency exit," I said.

"What the hell are you talking about," he asked.

"Oh, you know," Joker broke back into the conversation. "She's just going to blast through the wall to the outside and get sucked out of the side of the station. Nothing hugely dangerous or anything," he said sarcastically.

"No, Faye," Kaidan shouted at me.

"I have no choice," I barked back. "There's an Atlas mech outside the door trying to get in and I have nowhere to go. And Cait is unconscious still. I can't hold her and take on a mech at the same time."

"Kaidan, she's right," Liara said. "We should turn back around so we can make it back to the ship."

Kaidan growled. "Alright. But if you die I'm bringing you back again to kill you myself."

I laughed nervously. "Hope you have plenty of money to afford that."

"Good luck," he said softly.

I picked up Cait and backed up toward the desk, sat on the floor, and I clutched her limp body tight to my chest. "I just hope she doesn't wake up in the middle of this shit," I said as I looked down at her. "She'd fucking kill me." I raised my left hand, the weaker of the two and aimed my open palm at the wall. My fingers clutched tight around the shoulder of her armor. I focused all my biotic power into the biggest ball of energy I could manage. The banging continued behind me.

"Door integrity at thirty-seven percent," EDI chimed in my ear. "I recommend firing now."

I sucked in a big breath and forced the blast out as hard as I could imagine, focusing on blasting the whole wall out. I heard half of the explosion as it hit and the air began to be sucked from the room. I pulled my left hand back in, crossing my arms over Cait's back and holding us in place for a second or two more before we were jerked forward. I somersaulted with Cait's body pressed to my chest and squeezed my eyes shut as we barely passed through the hole I had made. My foot got slammed into by a piece of debris that had been sucked out behind us and my ankle snapped. I cried out in pain, but kept Cait clutched to my chest.

"Faye," Kaidan shouted out.

"I'm fine," I growled. "Something hit me and broke my ankle."

"The shuttle is about to grab you guys," Joker called.

I opened my eyes and looked around us. We were drifting farther from the station. The mech broke through the door and was sucked out as well. As it headed for us, I lifted my left hand again and used my biotics again to deflect it to my right. As it drifted safely passed us with its operator already dead, I looked to my left to see the shuttle coming our way. The pilot suddenly turned it to the side as it approached and opened the door. We were scooped inside and the pilot closed the door. A few seconds after it shut, the air lock sealed and returned pressure to the inside, dropping me and Cait to the floor.

I didn't let Cait go as I started to cry silently, relieved that she was safe. The pilot took us back to the Normandy. When the door opened again, I looked out onto the hangar bay. I scooted out with Cait still in my arms as I heard the pilot tell Kaidan we had made it on board. Kaidan answered by saying they had made it back as well and barked at Joker to get us out. I stepped down onto one foot and stood as I pulled off my helmet, discarding it to the floor carelessly to pull Cait's helmet off. When I pulled her helmet away gingerly, her honey' curls fell free gracefully. I touched her pale face softly and heard the elevator door open.

"It's okay," I cooed. "You're safe. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you." Tears streamed down my cheeks freely as I dropped to my knees and pulled her back to my chest again.

Kaidan and Dr. Chakwas had a hard time of prying her away from me, but I finally conceded to let them take her. Kaidan passed her gently to Vega and ordered him to follow the doc. I looked after them longingly as Kaidan bent down to me. He picked me up off the floor and followed behind them with me in tow. I reached out to take Cait's hand when we were in the elevator, but it sat there limply in my grasp.

"She's going to be fine," Dr. Chakwas said to me softly.

I looked to her and released Cait's hand as the doors opened. I had forgotten my own pain radiating up my leg until Kaidan had started to remove my armor and my boot after he had set me on one of the cots in the med bay. I vaguely heard the doctor say that Cait was fine and the sedative would wear off in an hour as I gripped the sides of the bed and clenched my teeth. She came over to me then and cut away my sock. She let out a little gasp of shock and turned her gaze to Kaidan.

"This just happened," she asked him as I lay there and forced myself to breath calmly, forcing air through my clenched teeth.

"Yes," he answered, clearly confused.

She turned back to my ankle. "Remarkable," she muttered. "She's already begun to heal. I'll need to set it quickly before I'm forced to re-break it so it can heal correctly."

Kaidan held me down while she set my broken ankle and put it in a brace. By the time it was done, my jaw hurt from restraining myself from screaming as much as possible and I was sweating hard. Kaidan apologized profusely and claimed it was his fault for not going with me. I laid on the bed, panting hard and shook my head at him.

"You idiot," I huffed between breaths. "It's not your fault. I'm the one who blast the hole in the side of the station and shot Cait and I out into space." I chuckled weakly as the doctor gave me a pain killer. "It was a risky decision and I knew that. You're not to blame for this." I gestured down at my foot.

He just looked at me with his brow furrowed, but didn't argue. I let out a little sigh as the pain killers hit me and shut my eyes. "That feels a little better," I breathed. There was a small grunt to my left and my eyes flew open as I started to sit up.

"It's okay," Chakwas said with a chuckle. "She's still under a bit, but it won't be long before she wakes."

I looked to her with pleading eyes. "Can we take her to my room? She's going to be pretty freaked when she wakes up and I think it will be better if we are alone."

"I don't see why not," she answered.

Vega, who had been standing in the corner, moved forward. "I'll carry her," he offered in an uncharacteristically soft voice.

I gave him a soft nod. Kaidan picked me back up and moved past Vega. I turned so I could look over Kaidan's shoulder and watch as Vega picked Cait up. There was a certain softness about the way he touched her. It was as if she were a delicate porcelain doll that he feared breaking. I furrowed my brow and looked to Kaidan. He gave me a one-shouldered shrug and we left.

Kaidan set me on the edge of my unmade bed. He helped take off my armor and offered to take it down to the armory for me. I gave him a soft smile and a thank you. Vega came in with Cait in his huge arms still giving off the same strange change of character.

He laid Cait down on the other side of the bed and began to gingerly remove the armor I had put her in. I eyed him while he did so, curious by his sudden change in demeanor. Kaidan gave me a soft kiss before he left and I watched him walk out the door before turning back to Vega.

I took hold of my first chance to really look at the hulky man. He was a little on the rugged side with the short beard that grew along his chin, tattoos on his right arm and neck, and the long scar that flowed over the bridge of his nose to the outside of his right cheek. His hair was raven black, buzzed into a traditional high-and-tight military style with a short Mohawk to differentiate him from the more clean cut Alliance soldiers. He had a certain softness in his brown eyes as he looked down at my best friend. His skin was a bit on the darker side and from the way he spoke I felt he had a possible Hispanic background. It was strange to see him act the way he was because of the formidable look he had with his broad muscled chest and heavily muscled arms.

"Vega," I said softly.

"Hmm," he answered, keeping his eyes on Cait as he removed a piece of armor from her left arm, his hands surprisingly nimble.

"What's up with you?"

He looked at me then. "What'd you mean?"

I gave him an incredulous frown. "I may not know you extremely well, but this," I nodded in Cait's general direction, "is not your usual personality."

He shrugged. "Just trying to lend a hand," he said.

"Yeah," I responded in disbelief.

He glared at me. "What?"

I smirked. "I just want you to know that that woman there," I gave a hard glance down at Cait. "She's practically a sister to me. So if you even think about doing something stupid that is gonna hurt her…" I leaned closer to whisper, "I'm going to rip out your guts and strangle you with them."

He looked a little shocked by my sudden threat. "Somehow," he said, "I truly believe you could and would do that."

"Better believe it bucko," I said. "Now, will you be as kind as to take her armor down to the armory?"

He chuckled, "Yeah. Sure."

After he left, I got up the best I could and managed to change back into my shorts I had been wearing earlier. I found a similar pair of shorts and a tight light grey t-shirt. I then changed Cait into them before getting her beneath the covers. Feeling utterly exhausted, I hobbled back to the other side of the bed and crawled in. I pulled her back into my arms and she sleepily snuggled up to me the way she always did. A few tears escaped my watery eyes.

I don't know how long I laid there with her, but as I had begun to doze off, she woke up. I combed her hair and whispered to her softly. She seemed confused at first, but I could practically hear her heart start to speed up and her confusion turned to fear.

"Mar?" Her sweet voice hit me like a sledgehammer.

"Yeah," I answered as my eyes started stinging yet again. "It's me, Cait."

"No," the tone of fear was unmistakable. "No, no, no." She backed out of my embrace and sat up. She looked at me with those familiar jade colored eyes that were starting to turn grey and water up. "No, you died, Mar."

I sat up and more tears escaped. "Yeah," I agreed grimly, "I did."

She backed up so far she stumbled off the bed. "Then how are you," she got the sudden look like she'd been slapped in the face. "How am I alive?!"

"It's a long story, Cait," I tried to coax her to relax a little.

"A long story?" She shouted. She let out a nervous laugh. "What's happened is against everything I've ever known." She squeezed her eyes shut. "It's just a dream," she whispered to herself over and over.

I sighed. "Cait, please listen," I pleaded softly. "Those people that had you… do you remember anything before you woke up here?"

She opened her eyes slowly, but didn't raise her gaze. "I remember being in a tank," her voice shook slightly. "There were people doing some sort of experiments on me."

"Well those people," I laid a hand on the bed and leaned her way. "Those people are very bad. They are an organization called Cerberus. They experimented on me too. They changed me."

She finally looked at me, her eyes wide. "I," she began the stopped hesitantly. "I believe you. Somehow I feel that what you're telling me is absolutely the truth."

I looked at her questionably. "I wonder if that's something they helped do to you. I mean you were always insightful, but you've always still had questions."

She came a little closer to me and sat on the edge of the bed. "Yeah," she agreed. Her eyes came to meet mine, the brightness slowly returning to them. "Somehow, I _know_ that you are telling the truth. It's like I sense it or something." She shook her head.

"Cait, those people brought us back to life, but they also took our lives from us. They took mine, yours, Brandon's, and countless others. I don't know why, but I'm going to find out."

She got that look like someone had slapped her and her eyes flew back up to mine. "Brandon too?"

"Yes," I answered numbly.

She shook her head again. "This is so much to take in right now. I don't know if I can handle it."

"It's going to be alright," I said. "You can take all the time you need. It was really hard for me to accept it too. Hell, I don't even know if I really have or if I'm just going with the flow of things." My voice started to shake. "All I know is I'm so happy I'm not alone anymore. And I promise you I'm not going to let one damn person hurt you." My voice shook again, but with conviction.

She gave me a look of sadness and concern. "I'm so sorry you were all alone." She scooted closer to me and rested her palm on my cheek as the tears began to escape from my eyes. "I missed you."

I put my hand on hers. "I missed you too," a small sob escaped me.

She threw herself on me and wrapped her arms around me. She slapped me on the back. "How could you do that to me," she yelled. "How could you die on me?"

I began to cry freely, but welcomed the sting from her slap on my back. "I'm so sorry, Cait. I never meant to do that to you. I'm sorry."

I pulled her closer to me and we hugged each other so hard I felt like we were going to crush one another. All our restraint fell apart. We both started to cry openly and simultaneously tried to comfort each other at the same time. Somehow, even though it only felt like a year to her and a few days to me, we felt the years of separation. We sat there as long as we need to, crying together as we mourned the loss of everyone we had known and each other until Cait fell asleep in my arms.

I picked her up after she had been asleep for a while and laid her back in her place on the bed. I tucked her in, watching as she scowled from being jostled a little. I stifled a laugh. She was exactly the same as she ever was. I sat there for a minute, thanking God as I looked at her. Finally, I took a deep breath and decided to go and see Kaidan. I felt the need to explain what had happened that morning to him and get a few things off my chest.


	10. Chapter 10

**I only own Faylin and Cait. All other characters, places, organizations, ect belong to Bioware. Please feel free to leave comments or message me with comments about the story. Enjoy. :)**

~*~Faylin~*~

I slipped into a pair of sneakers and went to the door, hesitating for a moment. I looked back to Cait and was satisfied to see her snoozing away. Crying like we did always had a way of sapping the energy right out of her. I wasn't exactly the opposite, but there were things I still had on my mind. I couldn't get to sleep when my mind refused to stop thinking. I turned back to the door and opened it.

When the door slid open, I was startled to see Vega standing on the other side, fist perched up to knock. He was apparently surprised to see me as well. His expression shifted quickly from shock to embarrassment. My own shifted to a mix of curiosity and confusion.

"Vega?" I tried to keep my voice low.

He wouldn't meet my eyes. "I was just-"he couldn't finish his sentence. "I'll go." He turned to leave.

I shot a glance back to Cait before stepping out the door. "Wait," I called after him. The door shut behind me and he stopped. "Why don't you talk to me a little?"

He peered over his shoulder at me. "Nothing to talk about," he shrugged.

I put my hands on my hips and narrowed my eyes at him. "You can't bull shit me, Vega."

He spun around and stomped over, stopping just inches from my face. He opened his mouth to snap at me, but hesitated. He closed his mouth again and a sudden look of defeat washed over him. Slowly, he opened his mouth to speak, "I," he sighed. "I just wanted to check that she was okay."

"You mean Cait," I asked a little taken aback. He gave me an incredulous look in response. "She's alright," I said, my gaze going to the door. "It's not easy for her to accept all of this right now so she's resting." I turned back to him. "Why are you so interested? This just doesn't seem like you."

He shoved his hands into his pockets. "She just reminds me of someone I once knew."

I looked at him and waited for him to say more, but he just stood there with his hands shoved in his pockets. "Well, I was just heading to see Kaidan for a bit before lunch. I'll see you later."

I walked past him and head for the elevator. I turned to look over my shoulder at him as I waited for the elevator to come back down. He stood there for a second like he was unsure what he wanted to do. The elevator doors opened and I stuck my foot in the door to keep it open as I watched him edge toward the door. I chuckled to myself and stepped into the elevator.

The ride up seemed to take longer than it actually was. I wrapped my arms around myself as I thought about Cait and worried about her. When the elevator reached deck one and the door finally opened, I stepped out and walked up to Kaidan's door. I gave it a sharp rap before I had the chance to give it second thought. I heard him call me in from somewhere inside. I opened the door and walked inside as butterflies burst to life inside my stomach.

Kaidan was sitting at his desk with a mess of data pads strewn over it. He had one in his hand that he was reviewing with a scowl. I didn't know what to say to him because I didn't know what my earlier actions had done to him. I just stood there, my arms wrapped around myself. He dropped the data pad down on the desk and swiveled his chair around.

When he saw me standing there, the scowl was erased from his face completely. "Faye," he said, clearly startled. "Why didn't you say it was you? I thought you'd be in your room with your friend."

"I was," I said as I shifted most of my weight to my uninjured foot.

He scowled again as he looked down at the black brace on my ankle. "You shouldn't be walking around on that," he shook his head and the scowl was replaced with a smirk. "Come here." He got up and walked over. Before I had the chance to say anything, he swept me up into his arms and started to carry me into the other half of his room. I thought he was heading for the bed, but he deviated from that path then headed towards the couch and set me down gently. "There we go," he said as he sat next to me, looking quite pleased with himself.

"It doesn't hurt or anything," I protested lightly. "But thank you."

He gave me a warm smile that made my heart flutter in my chest. "My pleasure." He sat back and got comfortable. "So what brought you up here?"

"I wanted to see you," I answered, looking down at my hands as I toyed with the edge of my shorts. "I feel terrible about this morning. It's just-" I sighed. "I had just had this weird nightmare about Cait and I didn't feel like talking about it."

He leaned forward and touched my knee, his touch on my bare skin sending a shiver of excitement through me. "Hey," he said softly. "It's okay. I'm not going to lie and say that I wasn't a little put off about being shut out like that, but I'm an understanding guy."

I felt the sting in my eyes as they began to tear up. I lifted my head and met his eyes. "I was just so scared, Kaidan," my voice was shaking. "In my dream, Cait was right there in front of me," I used my arms for effect, reaching out to the empty space beside him. "She was standing there just out of my reach. Then all of the sudden she was farther than that and when I tried to run for her," I squeezed my eyes shut and dropped my arms. I looked down at his hand on my knee. "The ground just gave out beneath me and I couldn't do anything. I lost her." A small sob managed to escape me before I looked back up in those earthy eyes that were suddenly filled with concern. "I almost lost her today too. And I was just so scared."

As I began to sob uncontrollably, he reached out and took me into his arms. I wrapped my arms around him and seized fistfuls of his shirt. He said nothing as he let me cry it out. He just stroked my hair and rocked me gently as he hummed a lullaby. I regained control of myself as relief swamped me. He released his hold on me willingly as I sat up and wiped at my eyes.

"Were you just humming a lullaby," I asked through sniffles.

He blushed. "Yeah. My mom used to sing it to me when I was upset. I'd sing it for you but I'm a terrible singer."

We both laughed. "Cait does the same thing you just did. She holds me while I cry, stokes my hair, and sings me a lullaby." I smiled as heat filled my cheeks. "I feel a little better now. I just needed to get that out I guess."

"I understand," he said softly. "I know this isn't easy for you." My heart fell as I thought of how hard it was going to be for Cait. He leaned toward me again and placed his hand on my cheek. "But it will be easier for her because she has you."

I looked into his eyes and smiled warmly. "Thank you," I said. "That's just what I needed to hear."

"Well good," he said. Then his face turned serious. "But I'm not saying it because it's what you need to hear. I'm saying it because it's the truth. You know that, right?" When I nodded he said, "Good."

"Hey," I said sheepishly.

"Hmm," he raised a brow at me, looking sexy as ever.

"I'm kind of hungry," I said with a smile.

He laughed. "Let's go get some lunch then. I'm ready for a break from work."

We stood up together. "But I want to walk," I said. He laughed but conceded to my request. "And we should see if Cait is up, I'm sure she's hungry."

"Sounds like a plan," he said as we made our way for the elevator hand-in-hand.

~*~Cait~*~

I didn't let Mary know that I was really awake as she started to leave the room. She was really quiet as she slipped on her shoes and hobbled to the door. I hadn't thought to ask how she got hurt and told myself I would do it later. I was aware that she hesitated at the door for a second. When she opened it, I immediately felt another person's presence. I could feel Mary's immediate shock and the embarrassment of the other person. She was so quiet that I didn't hear what she said to the other person, but they seemed to want to retreat. I heard the soft sound of the door sliding shut after she walked out of it.

I could still somehow feel Mary's emotions though she stood on the other side of the door. She felt concerned for a moment and I felt a small bit of surprise from the other person. Suddenly I felt a strong feeling of anger from the other person, but Mary wasn't afraid. I prayed for a second that the other person would calm down so they wouldn't hurt her and suddenly, they seemed to restrain themselves. Their emotions were so mixed up I couldn't quite place them. Mary seemed surprised for a second then she became slightly amused and walked out of my range of senses.

The other person stayed behind. I could somehow sense it was a man standing out there. He was surprised by her just leaving, but curiosity and concern came over him. I felt him come closer to the door. When the door opened with the same soft sound as before, I kept still on the bed with my eyes closed.

I heard him walk into the room, his steps heavy on the metal floor. He seemed to side-step his way in, possibly peering over in my direction. I remained still, suddenly feeling a wash a relief come over him. _'Is he making sure I'm okay,'_ I asked myself. _'He must be.'_

When he started to leave, I sat up on the bed so I could look at him. Mary had left a lamp on by the bed and on the far side of the room there was a light on as well. He stopped dead in his tracks with his eyes still on me and the door finally shut. I don't know what I had expected to see. I was surprised and not just because I could tell that he was.

He was so tall and muscular, definitely not the type of guy to show that he care about someone. He was a little intimidating to me because I didn't understand why he was there. I didn't know him and he certainly didn't know me. When a small flicker of longing flashed through him, I had a feeling that I understood why he was there.

"Hey," I said. "You were one of the people that were there when I started to wake up."

Relief seemed to swamp him. "Yeah," he said nervously, reaching up and scratching the back of his head.

"What are you doing here," I asked.

"I, uh," he looked away from me as I started to get up on my shaky legs. "I just wanted to see if you were alright. Faylin, made a narrow escape with you," he explained.

"Faylin?" I held on to the wall for support as I rounded the bed.

"Oh I forgot she changed her name," he said. He pointed to the door with his thumb. "Your friend."

"Don't tell me that's how she got hurt," I snapped lightly. I tried to walk on my own and fell. He rushed over to me and started checking for breaks. "I'm fine." My words made him freeze. "Can you help me up?"

"Uh, sure," he said.

He seemed uneasy as he helped me to my feet. I held on to his thickly muscled forearm as I walked toward a long couch. He stayed next to me, aiding in my slow progress. When I sat down, he moved away from me and leaned against the wall by the huge window that looked out to the stars. I looked out the window and marveled at the sparkling dots in the distance.

"Is that how she got hurt," I asked.

"Yeah," he crossed his arms over his chest. "A piece of debris hit her and broke her ankle. But whatever Cerberus did to her is making it heal really fast so to her it's more like a bad sprain."

I chuckled. "She was always the tough one." I looked over at him. His dark eyes were boring into me. "Why are you so interested in me?"

He seemed to try and block me out, but I hoped he would answer and quell my curiosity. "When I first saw you," he began. "You reminded me of a girl I once knew. Never got the chance to tell her how I felt."

"Why not?"

"Someone else beat me to the punch," he shrugged.

"I'm sorry," I apologized quickly.

"Don't be," he said. "She turned out to be one of those people who seems nice on the outside, but isn't on the inside." He laughed. "I've never told anyone that before in my life."

I cocked my head to the side. "Then why tell me?"

He shrugged again. "You just seem like the right person to tell."

I nodded. "I have that effect on people."

He laughed at that and I smiled. His laugh was hearty, making his shoulders shake. I was happy for the sincerity of it. "So," he said. "How are you holding up?"

I sighed and looked back out of the window. "This is all a little much for me right now," I said. "I can't even begin to describe how confused I am." I smiled. "But I have my best friend back so I won't look a gift horse in the mouth."

He laughed another shoulder shaking laugh. "I think I've decided I like you," he said with a smile. I felt the warmth in my cheeks as color flooded them but he pretended not to notice.

"I didn't catch your name," I tried to recover my composure.

"Vega," he answered plainly.

"What's your first name," I prodded.

He seemed a little shy to answer but did anyway. "James."

I smiled. "It's nice to meet you."

The door opened behind us and I turned to peer over the edge of the couch. Mary stood in the doorway next to another man that I believed had been there when I started to wake up. The shared awkward looks and shrugged simultaneously. Then she turned back with one of her warm broad smiles. "Anyone hungry," she asked with a chipper tone.

"Starving," I answered and returned her smile.

During lunch, she introduced me to the man she had walked back with. I tried to sneak glances at him as inconspicuously as possible. It was pretty obvious that there was something going on between them, but I didn't openly pry. James sat across from me, trying to sneak glances at me, but I caught him each time. I found myself amused and flattered at the same time. Kaidan and Mar began to explain to me a little bit about this new world I woke up in, answering any questions I asked and trying their best not to overload me with information. After we ate, Mar offered to show me around the ship.

"I don't think that's a good idea," I said and she frowned in response. "You shouldn't even be walking around at all, missy." She gave me a pouty look and Kaidan chuckled.

"I can show her around," James offered.

"That'll be good," Kaidan said before Mar had the chance. "He can show her around while you get some rest."

She threw her arms over her chest and pouted. "I don't want any rest."

I patted her arm. "Too bad, so sad."

She shot me an indignant look. "Two minutes back and you're already picking on me." She turned on Kaidan. "I told you she was going to be upset."

"You're lucky I'm not picking on you," he warned playfully. "You should actually head to the med bay and have Doctor Chakwas look at your ankle again."

"If I do are you people going to get off my back?"

"Maybe," I offered with a smile.

She couldn't help but smile back. "Fine." She turned to James. "You better remember what I said earlier."

He gave her a mock salute. "Yes, ma'am."

She caught me scratching at my arm uncomfortably. "Sorry about that," she said with a nod.

"What," I asked confused.

"IV," she answered with a cringe. I scowled. "I thought it was best to take it out while you were knocked out."

"Good choice," I said with a frown.

James was frowning in confusion. "She has a needle phobia," Mary said nonchalantly.

He raised a brow and smirked devilishly. "So I take it we won't be finding any tattoos on you?"

"No," I answered quickly and glanced down at my plate.

"Who's we," Mary threatened with her fork.

Kaidan reached across the table and grabbed her hand gently. "Easy killer," he chuckled.

"Hey," James put his hands up on mock surrender. "I didn't mean anything by it."

She gave him a skeptical look when he looked back to me. She dropped her fork in her moderately empty plate in defeat. "Alright," She sighed with a fake sigh. "I guess I'll go to the med bay. See y'all later." She stood up and gave me a wink as she limped off toward the med bay.

"I swear," I said, dropping my fork onto my plate. "I don't know what I'm going to do with that woman."

Kaidan chuckled lightly and James let out a hearty laugh. Kaidan gathered his tray with Mary's. "I'll try to keep a better eye on her for you," he said with a smile as he got up.

I leaned back and stretched my arms over my head. "Are you done," James asked me. I nodded. "I'll take your tray."

He swept my tray off the table before I had the chance to stop him. I looked over to the med bay and watched through the windows as Mary talked to a grey-haired woman. I got a feeling of surprise from both of them as they chatted and a small warmth of relief started to radiate off of Mary. I smiled, _'Must be good news.'_

"Ready?" James' voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

"Yeah," I answered with a smile.

~*~Faylin~*~

"Looks like you should be all healed by tomorrow afternoon," Doctor Chakwas informed me.

"Really? That's great!"

I caught Cait looking at me through the glass and gave her a smile. I watched as Vega walked up next to her and grab her attention. I wanted to think I imagined that her face lit up a little when she looked at him. But then I noticed the way his eyes lingered on her. I could recognize that look a mile away. I had always been a hopeless romantic, watching sappy movies where the prince rode in to save his princess.

The door to the med bay opened and pulled me from my thoughts. I looked over just in time to watch Kaidan stroll in. I couldn't stop the smile that slid over my face. His eyes met mine for a moment before he acknowledged Doctor Chakwas. I blushed like a fool and slid off the cot I had been sitting on. I tested my weight on my ankle while they talked about my healing progress in an attempt to distract myself.

"I'll keep an eye on her, doc," I heard Kaidan say which drug my attention back to them. "Come on, you." He was all smiles as he offered me his elbow. I looked up curiously at his face as I looped my arm through his. "Time for some rest," he gave me a wink and started to escort me out the door.

I had expected us to go down the hall to the observation deck, but instead he steered me toward the elevator. "Where are we going," I asked.

"My place," he gave me a mischievous grin. I rolled my eyes, but didn't protest. When the doors of the elevator closed, he pulled his arm up to twine our fingers together. He leaned over, lacing his mouth next to my ear. "You don't have to worry about Cait," he whispered, his warm breath caressing my skin.

"Who says I'm worried," I tried to hide the growing excitement with my retort.

He stood up straight and laughed. "I see the way you watch her like a mother hen." The doors opened and he motioned with his hand to allow me out first. I limped my way forward.

"I do not," I said indignantly.

"I'm sorry to say so but yes," he opened the door to his cabin for me, "you do.

I huffed but a smile had crept across my face again. Shortly after the door closed behind me and I stopped to take a breath, I was promptly swept off my feet. I squealed in surprise. When I looked to Kaidan, his mouth came crashing down onto mine, his tongue prying my lips open. With a quick realization of what he was doing, I closed my eyes and welcomed his kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pulled my body closer to his as I felt him descend the few steps into the second half of the room.

I was disappointed when our kiss was broken as he sat me down on his bed. However he quickly followed, dousing the feeling with one of longing and need. As we kissed, his muscular form pressing down onto mine and our hips rotating into each other, a thought snuck up in my mind. I remembered another thing that came with Cait being back in my life…. Brandon. I went suddenly rigid. Kaidan, no doubt feeling my sudden stillness, rose up to look at me.

"Oh my god," I gasped and pushed on his shoulders so I could sit up.

"What," he asked nervously. "What's wrong?" I froze like a statue, feeling a whole different fear entirely. I looked over at him, catching his nervous gaze. "Did I hurt you," he shot up to sit beside me and started to look me over.

"No," I finally managed to speak. "No, it's not that."

He looked back to meet my eyes. "What is it then?"

"Nothing," I attempted to lie. He gave me a skeptical look tainted with an unspoken warning. I sighed. "It just hit me. I don't know why it didn't sooner. That guy who's leading Cerberus now… He said he brought back other people."

Kaidan caught on to where I was going. "He could be lying to you, Faye."

"But what if he isn't lying," I pleaded. "What does that mean?" I looked away from him to the fish swimming peacefully in their tank.

"I guess that depends on you," his voice was suddenly grave.

I spun to look at him. His head had drooped in defeat. I felt suddenly ill, fearing that I had hurt him unintentionally. I reached out and cupped his face in my hands to pull his gaze back to me. He raised his eyes slowly. "I'm sorry," I whispered. "I didn't mean to hurt you. Hey, we don't even know what kind of shape he is going to be in if he even is alive," I offered. "Right now," I kissed his lips softly and leaned my forehead against his. "Right now we have each other. We can deal with things as they come to us."

He lifted a hand to stroke my cheek lightly with his finger. "Is that what you want?"

"Yes," I whispered.

He took my face in his hands and rose to meet my lips again. I returned his shy kisses fervently, trying to erase the thoughts in my mind. His caresses and kisses began to match mine with white hot need. I pulled my shirt over my head and discarded it to the floor. He began taking off his pants, managing to get as far as to unzip them before I was tugging his shirt up and over his head. When he came back to me, his hands roamed to my backside, easily unhooking my bra. I shrugged free of it and melded our mouths together again as we rose to stand up and remove the clothing from our lower bodies. He managed to get me naked first and pushed me down onto the bed before finishing the task of freeing himself from his clothing.

When he came back down, he scooped his hands under my ass and pulled me to him as he climbed up the bed. I twined my fingers into his dark locks and fused our mouths together again. My hips rocked into his as he sat me down and pressed his body to mine. He was gentle as he adjusted the angle of my hips for better position. When he finally slid inside me, I gripped him tightly breaking our melding of mouths. Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to let them fall as I focused on the joining of our bodies. He held me close throughout the act, perhaps sensing my need to wash away my thoughts with the smell and feel of his body and mine. Release came with twin eruptions of ecstasy, the jolt of lightning reverberating between us. When it passed, he rolled onto his back, keeping us connected as I began to sob.

He didn't speak a word to ask what was wrong. He merely held me to his strong chest as he hummed a lullaby. He brushed back my hair and stroked my back in small circles until I finally fell to sleep.


End file.
